Stars In Their Eyes
by t65xwing
Summary: Cassie Derehart lives to play Quidditch. That, and play pranks with her friends, the Marauders. But, now in their seventh year, the gang are having to grow up and settle down - and Cassie is starting to realise that there are more important things in life than finding a Golden Snitch.
1. Prologue: Potter, and a Plumpton Pass

Disclaimer: I think it's fairly obvious that I am not the wonderful J.K. Rowling, and therefore the amazing Potterverse is not my brainchild. I am writing purely for entertainment (hopefully), and hope this fanfiction sacrifice on the altar of JKR's Awesomeness is an acceptable one. This story (and the character of Cassie Dereheart in particular) is of my own invention and is not part of Rowling's official storyline.

* * *

><p>Prologue: Third Year<p>

Cassie stood on the pitch, her brow furrowed, broomstick in hand. It was a brand new Nimbus 1000 - a present from her parents for her 14th birthday. For once, they had been spot on - her mother had wanted to buy her a set of new dress robes, but her Muggle father had noticed how much time she spent with her nose buried in _Quidditch Through The Ages_ and had convinced her mother a new broom was the order of the day.

She had spent every possible moment that summer throwing a Quaffle about, or whacking a Bludger, or, her favourite, chasing a Snitch around the big field at the back of her house. Cassie had been determined that, this year, she would be on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and had practiced for hours. Her best friend, Mary, had encouraged her until the point where she realised that her entire stay at Cassie's would then revolve around Quidditch, and had then begun to complain bitterly.

But despite Mary's complaints, Cassie had been adamant. She dreamed of one day playing Seeker for the Montrose Magpies, in their black and white colours, and replacing Eunice Murray as their best ever Seeker. But first of all, she needed to play for her House.

Actually playing for Gryffindor was a different kettle of fish to dreaming of the Magpies, though. Cassie would actually have to… _try out_. In front of _people_. People that she _knew_.

Cassie wasn't shy. Mary could attest to her complete lack of volume control, and her inability to filter her thoughts before speaking (a perfect combination). And just that week, having been paired with the pretty and popular Lily Evans in Potions despite never having really spoken to her before, she had not only managed to make smalltalk rather than an idiot of herself, but had somehow made a good enough impression for Evans to ask if Cassie wanted to study with her (and whilst Cassie never really wanted to study, she knew that her grade in Potions would benefit as much as her social life from a friendship with Evans). But for some reason, Quidditch was different. Maybe because it was so important to her - certainly the idea of Longbottom or McKinnon, or worse, Potter, laughing at her was enough to to make her stomach shrivel up and her head hurt.

So during tryouts that day, Cassie had watched from the sidelines. She had watched, feeling sick both with nerves and regret, until she saw the newly chosen Gryffindor Seeker. _Stebbens_? That idiot couldn't find a leaf in a forest, and flew as well as the Whomping Willow. Cassie's feelings of regret stewed into bitter anger, but she bit her lip and said nothing, even to Mary.

The new team line up was all anyone could talk about in the common room that afternoon, and despite sitting right in the corner and trying to bury her head in her Transfiguration essay, by four o'clock Cassie was ready to explode. Rather than let the entire of her House hear how she felt about their new Seeker's flying, she abandoned her attempt at academia and fled to the dorm.

She pulled her broom out from under her bed and sat down, running her fingers reverently along the wood.

"Why didn't I just try? Even sick as a parrot I could have out-flown Stebbins."

She needed to clear her head. So, with tryouts over and the pitch empty, Cassie knew exactly where she was headed.

Cassie stood on the pitch, her brow furrowed, broomstick in hand. Out of her pocket she drew a shining golden handful of joy - and let it go. The Snitch zoomed off across the pitch until it's golden glimmer was out of sight, at which point, Cassie took off.

There was nothing like the feeling of flying. She shot up into the air, then let herself begin to fall, sliding into a loop-the-loop before speeding off again. She pulled off a roll, then went into a sharp dive towards the turf. She hurtled towards the ground, accelerating hard with the wind rushing past her face so fast that her eyes watered. A laugh bubbled out of her as she flew, and then suddenly, sharply pulled up, her feet skimming the turf as she sped away.

"Not bad flying, Derehart, but still no sign of a Snitch in your hand," came a male voice from below.

Cassie just about fell off her broom. She quickly regained her balance, and looked down towards the stands. There, in the front row, watching her aerodynamic display, was none other than Gryffindor Chaser and fellow third year, James Potter.

She slowly descended, pulling up a few metres away from the Chaser. He still wore his Gryffindor Quidditch colours, with his broomstick in his right hand. He also wore an air of confidence that bordered on arrogance, as though he expected everyone he met to love him. Not that half the girls in Cassie's year weren't in love with him, anyway.

"And with no Snitch, it's hardly 'good' flying either," he said, a smug smile on his face.

Cassie's vision was suddenly tinged rather oddly with red.

"Still better flying than your last game against Hufflepuff last year, Potter. Fumbling a Porskoff Ploy, and then getting knocked out by a Bludger ring a bell? Lucky it was Hufflepuff, or you would never have made the final."

Cassie watched as Potter's smile grew wider, and his eyes simultaneously narrowed.

"Challenge accepted, Derehart."

Cassie raised an eyebrow, questioningly.

"First to the Snitch?"

Cassie hesitated a moment. Maybe this was her chance. She gritted her teeth, and gave a tight smile.

"Alright, Potter. But if I win, then you are going to make sure I get a chance to try for Seeker."

Potter smiled.

"If you can beat me to the Snitch, I won't even have to try."

"Ready?" Cassie asked, as Potter mounted up.

"Yup," Potter nodded.

Cassie nodded back, and reached deep into the sleeve of her robe. Potter's expression shifted, and his eyes followed her movement. Out of her sleeve, she drew the Snitch, holding it tightly in one hand.

"Three, two -"

"Wait!" Potter exclaimed, a look of total surprise on his face, "When did you catch it?"

"About thirty seconds in. A Plumpton Pass. But a purposeful one. Saw it below me and dropped into that loop - was pretty easy to catch it in my sleeve. Good practice not to show the other Seeker that you've seen the Snitch."

Potter's eyes widened, as did his smile.

"Well, then. You win."

Cassie frowned.

"I haven't released it yet, though," Cassie said, innocently, trying very hard not to let her smile turn smug.

"You're too clever for your own good, Derehart. But I like a good joke. So I'll speak to Longbottom about getting you on the team."

Cassie's smile turned very genuine as she let her broomstick drift to the ground and alighted.

"And if you're as good at pranks as I suspect you might be, then there are some lads that I think you need to meet…"


	2. A Prank For A Promise

Chapter 1

"Cassie, your mother and I have decided to get you a little present before heading back to school for your final year," Cassie's dad shared over the dinner table. It was Cassie's last night at home before heading down south towards London, and the Hogwarts Express. She was also spending a few days in Cokeworth at Lily's house first with Marlene and Mary before making that final trip to King's Cross. Her father, as always, thought it was mad that she had to travel all the way to London just to take a train back to Scotland, but Cassie wouldn't have had it any other way.

"It's also a bit of a bribe," Cassie's mother added, "I'd really rather not have any more letters from Professor McGonagall regarding your behaviour. Those boys really are the worst influence and I'd really rather you didn't -"

"MUM!" Cassie exclaimed frustratedly, "It is NOT their fault that I get into trouble. I'm just bad at not getting caught."

Her mother's expression darkened and she opened her mouth again, but Cassie interrupted.

"Mum, I'm joking. Honestly, the boys and I are having to buck up even more this year than last year. I got an owl from James - Dumbledore's actually gone and made him _Head Boy_, for crying out loud. There's no way he's getting away with half the stuff we did in fourth and fifth year, even if we hadn't toned the pranking down last year. With him Head Boy, and Remus a prefect, and Lily Head Girl, we're all going to have to be very boring this year."

"Well as may be, but the broom is still conditional on you behaving yourself this year. I am completely prepared to take it off you if I have to."

Cassie's face broke out into a huge smile.

"A _broom_?!"

"Oh, Antara. Did you have to give it away before she's even opened it?" Cassie's dad asked plaintively. Cassie, however, was too excited to care.

"Ohmigodohmigodohmigod you guys are amazing! This is exactly what we need to make sure Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup this year! And we HAVE to win - it's our final year and our last chance!"

Cassie's parents smiled at each other, her mother's stern expression melting into one of pride.

"And of course it's my chance to impress some Quidditch scouts. I've been to every Magpies game I could get my hands on tickets for this summer, and I would sell my soul to be selected to play for them!" Cassie paused in her excited rant, considering something for a moment, "Mum, dad, what kind of broom did you get me?"

The new Cleansweep was good, would be totally acceptable and still a step up from her Nimbus 1000, but she was keeping her fingers crossed for a -

"A Nimbus 1001, Cass. Hope that's the right thing?" her dad asked, slightly apologetically. Cassie squealed and threw herself across the table to hug him. He might be a Muggle, but he tried so hard to get into the wizarding world to support her and her mother. And this time, he had gotten it absolutely right.

"You guys are the best. This is going to be the best year ever!"

* * *

><p>"This is going to be the worst year ever!"<p>

Lily was pacing back and forth across her bedroom whilst Cassie, Mary and Marlene perched on her bed, watching her. Lily was gesticulating wildly, the letter in her hand rustling as she waved it. Cassie had known Lily wouldn't be happy when she heard the news that, inexplicably, James Potter was the Head Boy this year, but Lily's reaction was even worse than she'd anticipated.

"He wasn't even a prefect! There's no way an arrogant troublemaker like him can properly fulfil the duties of Head Boy! Dumbledore must have gone mad!"

"I'll agree with you there," Cassie muttered, causing Mary and Marlene to smother giggles. James, like all the Marauders, was like a brother to Cassie, but she could readily admit that she thought Dumbledore had had a heavy night on the Firewhiskey before sending that badge to James.

"It's not funny, Cass!" Lily fumed, spinning to face Cassie with rage in her eyes. But Cassie only sighed, giving her fiery reheaded friend a dubious look.

"No, it's not, Lils. He isn't _actually_ the spawn of the devil, you know. He's a good mate, and he isn't nearly as much of a dick as he used to be. Plus, he's had a pretty rotten time of it this summer, so he really doesn't need you on his case the minute we get on the train."

Lily's angry expression dissipated into a mildly annoyed frown tinged with curiosity.

"Why, what's happened?"

All three girls sitting on the bed wore matching shocked expressions.

"Come on, Lily," said Marlene, rolling her beautiful big baby blues, "Surely you've heard, even if Potter hasn't mentioned it in one of his many letters to you."

Lily's frown deepened.

"Actually, Potter hasn't written to me since mid July. I assumed he was off gallivanting with Black and Lupin over the summer."

Mary, her fair hair wisping out from it's thick French braid, reached out a hand to Lily, who hesitantly put her hand into Mary's grasp.

"Lily," Mary said softly, "Potter's father died."

Lily looked stunned. But Cassie didn't let her recover her composure before diving in to pre-emptively defend James from her.

"I know that I always stay well out of this business between you and Prongs, but he's pretty gutted, Lils, and you really have to cut him a bit of slack. I was up at his in August for our usual mid-summer Quidditch training for a fortnight, and he's really upset. I know his parents are pretty old, and his mum hasn't been well for the last year or so, but his dad was really fit and going well - it was a total shock. So, just don't start on him, ok?"

Lily's green eyes flashed with hurt.

"I don't ever _start_ anything. It's him, with his stupid attention-seeking pranks, and his endless come-ons, and -"

"Ok," Mary interrupted, standing up and putting a hand on Lily's shoulder, "Ok, we get it. He's…"

"A git?" Marlene supplied, looking innocent.

"Well, yes. But why not try and start afresh this year, huh? He's going to have to change his attitude as Head Boy anyway, and with his dad's death hanging over him he may actually have grown up quite a lot. Just try not to be too prejudiced, ok? That's all we're asking." Mary gave Lily's shoulder a squeeze, and shot a warning gaze at Cassie. She took the hint to say no more.

"Alright, alright," Lily capitulated, "I won't judge him until I've seen what he's going to be like this year, ok?"

Mary smiled, and Marlene's lips twitched into an amused grin. Cassie just sighed, and nodded.

"That's enough for me, Lils."

There was plenty more for the four girls to catch up on than just Potter, though.

"So," Marlene said, a gleam in her eye, "I hear Sirius Black broke up with Georgia Sandhurst after getting with Louisa Ashton whilst staying in London this summer."

"Oooh, really?" Mary cooed appreciatively.

"If you can call it 'breaking up' when I'm sure he and Sandhurst were only casual anyway," Lily added, her expression a little superior.

"And I'm pretty sure Padfoot wasn't in London this summer. That was Moony - he had an internship at the Daily Prophet and was staying at the Leaky Cauldron, and there's no way Pads would have been in London without seeing him. And I had an owl from Moony last week saying he hadn't seen anyone since the end of last month when he went up to Godric's Hollow for the weekend, and was bored stiff. So, I'm calling you on that one, Marls."

Marlene rolled her eyes and flopped backwards onto Lily's bed.

"I'm sure having you in our group should mean us getting insider information on the Marauders, rather than you just quashing all the best rumours, you know."

Cassie laughed.

"I can always make up some better ones if you'd like? Did you hear that Moony got caught doing inexplicable things to a goat?"

Lily gave Cassie a playful push, and the four girls all laughed.

"You know us boys don't get up to that much, really, other than Qudditch, and pranking each other. Well, maybe Padfoot, he's a bit of a slut, but the rest of us are pretty boring, really."

"'Us boys', Cass?" Mary raised an eyebrow, her finely featured face looking disbelieving.

"I do sometimes wonder about you, Cass. Do you have an actual gender identity issue, or do you just spend _way_ too much time with those Marauders?" Marlene laughed even harder from flat out on Lily's bed.

"That's a bit harsh, Marls. Cass is just more of a tomboy than the rest of us," Lily objected, another frown marring her pretty face.

It was true. Cassie was very much the odd one out of the group. Marlene was tall, blonde and blue eyed, with a well-developed chest - subsequently the boys all fancied her, and she definitely took advantage of the fact. Despite Marlene's greater success with the boys, Lily was widely believed to be the most gorgeous of the group. Slightly shorter than Marlene with bright red hair, striking green eyes and svelte figure, she was absolutely beautiful, but she could be hard to approach - she was adamantly opposed to rule-breaking of any kind, and very studious, but when she wound down was wicked fun. Mary, however, was also tall, but very thin and delicate with pale skin, pale grey eyes and fair hair. She was the loveliest person, very gentle and kind, but could be crippled with shyness - since their very first day of Hogwarts, Cassie was the one to draw Mary out of her shell and get her to relax and have a laugh without worrying about offending anyone.

In comparison to the three very tall, pretty and well-dressed girls, Cassie stood out like a sore thumb. She had what she considered the perfect Seeker's build - short, very light and with lightning reflexes. She had a mass of dark brown curls that, when caught by the sun, seemed to have hints of chestnut, but also proved almost impossible for her to tame. Her eyes were dark brown too, and would have been a striking feature if not for her insistence in continually hiding them behind Quidditch goggles. Her preference for hoodies and jeans or (worse) Quidditch robes as day-to-day dress only heightened the differences between them.

But despite their differences, the girls were stout friends. Cassie had bonded with Lily in third year, when they were assigned as partners in Potions. Lily had liked Cassie's straightforward honesty, and had brushed her awkwardness aside - and Cassie was good at encouraging Lily to loosen up, without judging her for being prone to uptightness. Lily had soon introduced Cassie to Marlene, and Cassie introduced her to Mary, and the four had been close ever since.

That was, when Cassie wasn't busy Marauding.

"Well, you won't be able to refute this one, Cass, cos he isn't one of _your_ boys," Marlene continued blithely, "Amos Diggory, the Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain, he's broken up with Suraya Fawcett. I heard from Bertha Jorkins - you know, Hufflepuff, was a seventh year last year, bit dim and a total gossip? - who heard from Suraya's big sister. So the golden boy is now on the market again!"

"He _is_ pretty gorgeous, and totally lovely," sighed Mary. Lily crossed her arms, but nodded in reluctant agreement.

"And he can do a reverse pass blindfolded. Did a nice bit of Chasing against Slytherin with a broken collarbone, too," added Cassie, whose priorities were obvious.

"_And_," Marlene said with a calculating smile aimed at Cassie, " Jane Merryweather in Ravenclaw told me that apparently Jack Mason is head over heels with a Gryffindor girl."

All three turned their curious gazes to Cassie, whose normally pale skin flushed with embarrassment.

"It's not _me_!" she exclaimed, her hands going to her face, covering her rioting cheeks. Marlene laughed again, but Lily and Mary looked thoughtful.

"Well, he _did_ sit next to you in Charms for the whole of last year, even after Potter charmed his water bottle to change anything he poured into it to unicorn urine, and Pettigrew cast a Sticking Charm on his seat, _and_ you laughed at him when he asked if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade." Lily pointed out.

"He asked me if I _was_ going, not if I would go _with_ him, actually. And I laughed because I had those tickets to the Magpies' game against the Cannons that Padfoot had managed to get hold of, and he _knew_ I did, because he didn't seem _nearly_ as interested as I'd thought he'd be when I told him about them. He spent enough time talking about House Quidditch with me during Charms after all."

Lily, Mary and Marlene shared a look.

"But none of that matters - he doesn't play Quidditch, end of."

* * *

><p>Platform 9 ¾ was packed. Cassie could have sworn that first years seemed to get younger and more frightened-looking every year. And yet, some of them were still taller than her.<p>

"Cassie, hey!"

Cassie turned around, her dark eyes meeting those of Remus Lupin. She said a hurried goodbye to the girls, promising to meet them on the train, and rushed over to throw herself headlong into his arms.

"Oof!" Remus joked, giving Cassie a big squeeze. She noticed that he looked pretty tired - he had had to travel up to James' home in Godric's Hollow for his last transformation whilst he was working at the Prophet, and keeping up with his internship on the days either side, plus the travelling, had left him even more tired than usual, and he obviously hadn't had a chance to catch up on his sleep.

"You look a bit rough," she pointed out, pulling out of his arms.

"Good to see you too," he said, rolling his eyes. He, like the rest of the Marauders, was well used to Cassie's lack of brain-to-mouth engagement. He slung an arm around her shoulder affectionately and they wove their way between the students and families that filled the platform.

"How was the Prophet?" she asked.

"Hard work. Good, but hard. You seen Prongs since we were all up at his place?"

"No," Cassie admitted. "I had to spend _some_ time at home this summer, and then I went to stay with Lily for a bit, with all the girls. I've owled him, but it's not the same. How's he holding up?"

"Not bad, considering. A bit quiet. Trying to make it out like it's the Head Boy thing that's got him worried, but the old Prongs would have just laughed and plotted how to make Dumbledore regret it."

"I don't think he will," Cassie said, shaking her head.

"What?"

"Dumbledore. I don't think he'll regret it. I know everyone thinks he's mad, I did too, but the more I think about it, the more I think he's played the best prank anyone has ever played at Hogwarts - and totally without Prongs knowing."

"Ok, I'll roll with this. How?"

"We both know Prongs is the type of guy who might hex random people for fun, or play a huge prank to wind everyone up, but he won't let down the people he cares about. He cares about Hogwarts. Not it's rules, maybe, but about the school. He won't let Dumbledore down if he can help it. Plus he'll love being the centre of attention. And old Dumbledore knows all that. And, bam, with one tiny badge, Dumbledore tames Prongs and hamstrings the Marauders from creating further mayhem - because, unlike you, Prongs will actually try and do his job rather than look the other way and sigh."

Remus' eyes went wide, and a slow grin spread across his handsome face.

"I don't know who is more dastardly: you for thinking up all of that, or Dumbledore for possibly actually trying to pull it off…"

It was then that Cassie spotted a mop of messy black hair over the heads of the surrounding crowd. She tugged on Remus' sleeve and pointed.

"Is that him? I can't see!"

"Yeah it is - come and say 'hi' before he and I have to go to the prefects' carriage and abandon you."

Cassie groaned. She hadn't even considered that. Remus and Mary were both prefects, and with Lily and James now Head Boy and Girl, their carriage would be half empty. Just Marlene, herself, Peter and Sirius. What a fantastic combination…

"You'll survive," Remus said with a wry grin. Cassie was used to him reading her like a book, and just rolled her eyes at him before squeezing their way through the crowd towards James.

"Oi, Prongs!" she called, a bright smile spreading across her face as he spun round to look at her. She threw herself into his arms in much the same fashion as she had with Remus, only the great galoot took the opportunity to spin her round and off her feet before letting her stand up again.

"I think you get smaller every time I see you, Sparkles. One of these days you're going to find the Snitch is bigger than you."

Cassie responded by sticking out her tongue in a very mature fashion, and James ruffled her dark curls in response. She did hate that stupid nickname. It was the end of fifth year, after the boys had successfully become Animagi and gotten their nicknames from them, that they'd tagged her with it.

"Why can't I have a Marauder nickname too?" she had asked the boys in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room, plaintively.

"Because you're not an Animagus," Sirius had said, crossing his arms in a very final way. So, he was in one of his rotten moods again, obviously.

"You wouldn't even let me try! I'm not afraid of Remus, or of the magic going wrong, you know."

"I know," James had intervened, putting an arm round her shoulder and pulling her in close, "But this needs to be a secret, you know that. And you're such a bad liar - the girls would soon know something was up if you were involved too. And this way, we have someone in the castle who knows what's going on, just in case we need help."

Cassie was somewhat mollified, but she still didn't have a nickname.

"But what about my nickname?" she had asked, looking to Remus. He often played the independent adjudicator in the many clashes of will between herself and Sirius Black.

Remus had sighed, scratching the back of his neck as he considered.

"Well, since you don't have an Animagus form, what about a Patronus? Conjure a Patronus, and then we'll think of a nickname for you too."

She knew that they were trying to trick her. The Patronus Charm was ridiculously advanced - way beyond O.W.L. level. But whilst Cassie was no where near James and Sirius in Transfiguration, or Lily in Potions, she was beyond excellent at Charms. It was all in the wrist, she told them whenever they asked how she had mastered another charm first time, but really it was natural talent. Creativity counted in Charms, whereas Transfiguration was all about accuracy.

She leapt off the couch and drew her wand. Sirius had met her gaze, his mocking expression spurring her on. She made a circling motion with her wand, and drew on a memory.

_Reaching out… there, the feeling of a small metal ball in her hand, it's feathery wings fluttering against her grip…_

"_Expecto patronum_!"

Out of the end of her wand burst a huge silver creature, which cantered straight in the direction she had pointed - right at Sirius Black. He exclaimed, leaping sideways out of its path whilst the other three boys shot to their feet. The huge silver unicorn turned, trotting around the boys and back towards Cassie, watching her intently. She raised a hand, as if to touch it, and it suddenly vanished.

"Wow," Remus said, his eyes wide in shock. James and Peter's expressions mirrored his.

"Bet you weren't expecting that," she said, smugly.

"Not at all," admitted Remus, openly, "That's pretty advanced charmwork right there."

"Well, if you don't mind, I'll leave you to think up a suitable Marauder nickname for me now, thanks," she smirked, turning and heading towards the girls' dorm.

"Ok… _Sparkles_," came a familiar voice from behind her. She spun, her eyes narrow in warning.

"Don't you _dare_, Black."

"That fits your Patronus _perfectly_, don't you think?"

"Your name fits you pretty well too. Black as your soul!"

"Now, now," he smiled a crooked, half-smile, "You wanted a nickname! What do we think, boys?"

It was unanimous. And 'Sparkles' she had becomes, although all bar Sirius generally called her 'Sparks'. Sirius tended to take it one step further, calling her -

"Princess Sparkles!"

Cassie groaned into James' arm. He and Remus laughed as Sirius approached them, Peter tagging along behind. She pulled out of James' grasp, turning towards Sirius.

He really was gorgeous. His black hair was long and messy, the kind all of the breathless girls wanted to run their hands through. His jaw was chiselled, and his grey eyes were like storm clouds, crackling with passion. Under his robes, Cassie knew fine well that his chest was solid, and his arms toned. But she also knew that he was a moody git, and that she owed him a prank.

"Padfoot!" she exclaimed loudly in a dramatic fashion, throwing her arms in the air. "I'm so glad to see you! I heard about your inner ear infection - how gutting that you can only fly perpendicular to the ground! Although take heart - it can't make your Chasing any worse!"

"No, you're right!" he boomed, equally dramatically, as he strode up to her and swept her up in a hug, "But I'm more concerned for _you_, Princess! I was told you actually tried to wash, but instead of shifting the smell, you just shrank! There wasn't much of you to start with, silly girl; we can cope with the smell if you stay big enough not to be accidentally stood on!"

Cassie plastered a huge fake smile on her face, and tried not to laugh when Sirius did exactly the same.

"Alright, children, enough," James laughed, putting a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Ok, sir!" Sirius snapped to attention, saluting James with a ridiculous attempt at a serious expression on his face. Cassie snorted, and looked to Remus, who was trying not to laugh.

"Good luck, Prongs," Remus said, "God knows I couldn't do anything to control any of you - you're a better man than me if you can keep this pair under control."

The Marauders gathered their trunks, making a move towards the train. Just before they boarded, James caught Cassie by the elbow and jerked his head towards a pillar, indicating he wanted a private word. She nodded, and quickly followed.

"What's up?" she asked as they shielded themselves from view.

"I'm giving in, Sparks: I need your help."

"Sorry to point this out, Prongs, but despite all evidence to the contrary, I'm not, in fact, a boy, and therefore can't trade you for that nice shiny badge."

"No, you moron. I need your help with _Evans_."

Cassie frowned, and bit at her bottom lip.

"I really don't want to go there, Prongs. You guys are both my friends, and I don't want to get in the middle of that… I've already had to defend you to her, and you guys haven't even met yet."

James stared intently as his feet, kicking at the stone of the platform morosely. Cassie felt for him - he'd been in love with Lily longer than she'd known him, after all - but she did _not_ want to get involved.

"But… it's my last chance, Sparks. Our final year. And I'm going to be patrolling with her, sharing a dorm with her… I just don't want to have to look at her and see that look of disgust. I just don't want her to hate me anymore."

Cassie looked at James' face. She hadn't brought up what had happened that summer to his father, and she had no intention of doing so now, but she could see how it had affected him. Final year nostalgia was tinged with the desperation of someone who had realised how easy it was to lose someone you love. And although he laughed it off as a crush that had become a running joke, she knew he loved Lily. He had told Cassie so himself last year, absolutely plastered after Gryffindor had won the Quidditch Cup, crying on her shoulder. Not that that would ever get brought up, either.

So Cassie made a decision.

"You just, don't want her to hate you? As in, you want to genuinely be friends with her?"

He looked up from his feet to roll his hazel eyes at her.

"You just want to be friends, _right_?"

He hesitated, looking bemused for a few seconds. Then, his gaze sharpened, and _that look_ lit up his face. _That look_ that said a real monster prank was in the wings.

"Of course," he said, carefully.

"That, my dear Prongs, I can help you with. After that… well, we'll see where we are."

James' smile widened, and he opened his mouth to thank her.

"Not so fast!" she interjected, raising a finger to shush him, "This is a deal, not a favour. I need you to help me in return."

James' expression turned suspicious.

"What do you need help with? Because I'm absolutely _not_ helping you with guy problems, that is too weird."

"You're such a hypocrite!" Cassie complained, poking him in the shoulder. James feigned hurt, but smiled when Cassie stuck her tongue out at him again.

"What I wanted you to do was help me with my prank on Sirius."

Cassie and Sirius had had an ongoing prank war since midway through fourth year. Not the kind of prank war where every day a new minor atrocity occurred, but the kind where, just by the time everyone had forgotten about the prank war, another horrendous trick turned the joker into a legend and the jokee into a smoking ball of humiliation.

The last time, Sirius had, in Cassie's opinion, crossed the line: he had cast a hex on her broomstick to make it continually drift to the left, and every so often spin one hundred and eighty degrees and shoot off. After embarrassing herself royally at training by falling off her broom three times, she had taken it back to common room to examine it - and discovered the second layer of the prank. On trying to examine it magically, the broom emitted a huge puff of thick black soot, which was jinxed to be unremovable for three days, but magical or non-magical means.

So this time, Cassie had to make it personal.

"I need to make this a step up from the broom trick. I was thinking something with his hair maybe… or, at least, something that will give him the shock of his life and teach him not to underestimate Cassie Derehart ever again. Like you said… it's our final year. I want to make it count."

_That look_ crossed James' face once again, and Cassie felt her smile brighten in response.

"The shock of his life, huh?" he mused aloud, "I might have something for you there, Sparks. But we need to get on the train now - we'll start planning once we're at Hogwarts."

"Wait, before you go," Cassie caught James' sleeve as he went to move out from behind the pillar, "Step one with Lily? Give up on her."

"For goodness sake," James spat, "I want your actual help, Sparks -"

"No, you idiot, Don't _actually_ give up. Just… appear to. Be civil, but not forward at all. If she asks - which she will, by the way - tell her you've had to grow up this summer, and you've given up on her, but that you want to make this Heads thing work without being too awkward. Ok?"

James looked stunned.

"Sparks, you may be a genius…"

"Of course I am - where have you been for the last six years?"


	3. A Dogfight

Sirius was in a mood. Or, more moody than normal, anyway.

He sat opposite Cassie in their compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Peter to his left, the window to his right. She could see the strange, muted-colour reflection of his face in the glass, framed by the darkness of his long, black hair. He looked brooding, like a summer sky before a flash flood.

Marlene, beside her, was chatting away, running her fingers through the ends of her blonde hair.

"… and then I saw Diggory on the platform, Cass, and oh my, he looks even better than he did at the end of last year! And remember he's single now, too. I might ask him what his plans are for the first Hogsmeade weekend…"

"He won't go with you, Marlene," Sirius drawled, without taking his gaze from the window, and the countless trees and shrubs that whipped past in a blur of colour.

Marlene frowned at him in that weird way she did when she was trying to look cute. Cassie bit her lip - she was seventeen years old, and as such could stop herself from voicing the thoughts that shouldn't be voiced. She shoved a handful of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans into her mouth to keep it occupied.

"Why are you doing that with your face? You look like you're constipated," Sirius added, his gaze flicking to Marlene briefly before returning to the window. Cassie choked on her Beans, spitting a few directly at Sirius, who looked down at the wet, half-masticated, multi-coloured blobs that now decorated his robes with a grimace.

"Do try and keep your food in your mouth, Princess Sparkles. I know it's hard when your face is shaped like that, but if you want people to mistake you for a human being you have to try a bit harder," he said, meeting her eyes for a fraction of a second, and the intensity behind that gaze made Cassie want to flinch.

Very moody indeed.

"Diggory is your typical golden boy - overachiever, classic good looks, perfect gentleman, and an athlete to boot. He'll go for an intelligent, sporty, pretty and generally very _nice_ girl-next-door type. Bit like that boring bird he was with before, only maybe less boring. To him, anyway. He absolutely _won't_ go for a girl like you, Marlene, who doesn't know the difference between a Beater and a Bowtruckle and thinks taking it up the backside is the best form of contraception."

At that point, Cassie went supernova.

"Sirius Black, get your head out of your own arse long enough to take a breath, why don't you? You're being an absolute tosser, and if this is the mood you're going to be in all the way back to Hogwarts then go and find another compartment, because I'm not going to sit here and have you ruin my day."

There was a long silence whilst two pairs of eyes, one storm grey and the other dark as sin, flashed with anger at each other.

"Well, fun as this is," Marlene finally said, getting up off the seat and gesturing towards the door, "Peter and I have to go and find the witch with the trolley. We'll be back later."

Marlene and Peter vanished almost as quickly as Lily could Disapparate. Which was pretty fast. Cassie let out a long sigh, and slouched back against the seat. Looked like she had been volunteered as the sacrifice on the altar of Sirius' bad mood.

"Ok," she sighed, "Want to spill?

Sirius sat in silence for a moment longer, considering her. It made Cassie want to squirm from discomfort. He opened his mouth to speak, seemed to think better of it, and closed it, returning his gaze to the window. Seconds later, he looked back to Cassie again, and frowned.

"Oh my god, Pads, angst much?" she quipped, raising her eyes to the ceiling in mock despair.

There could almost, almost have been the tiniest ghost of a hint of a half-smile on Sirius' handsome face, but whatever it had been had gone as soon as it came.

"I've asked you once before, and I promised I wouldn't again. But if I don't I'm apparently going to be verbally aggressive to anyone who speaks within hearing distance of me for the rest of the train journey. So that's your warning, Princess."

"Ok, I'll bite. What's got your knickers in a twist?"

"Is there something going on with you and Prongs?"

Cassie's jaw dropped, and her eyebrows flew up. She raised a hand, twisting it into the wild mess of her curls. But Sirius' gaze was steady. He actually wanted an answer.

"I can't believe you've gone there again. It took us nine months to stop bickering after the last time you came out with that crap. What's suddenly changed?"

Sirius hesitated, dropping his gaze to the compartment floor. He almost, almost looked sheepish, but the expression was gone as soon as it came.

"I saw you both trying to hide behind that stupid bloody pillar. You looked afraid… and then, really happy. And with the way he's changed this summer… he's been so quiet, Sparks. He hasn't mentioned Evans for over a month, and there's been no letters, no silly, self-deprecating jokes, no general Prongs-type fannying around. And then I wondered. And then I really wondered: whether you'd be so _stupid_ after everything that we said before."

"I can't believe _you're_ so stupid."

"How is it stupid to be worried that you would be the end of the Marauders?"

"I don't know where you picked up this incredibly _idiotic_ idea, Padfoot," Cassie practically spat, "but I actually see Prongs like the annoying little brother I never had - he means well, but can be incredibly annoying and often needs taking down a peg, and doesn't wash his Quidditch gear often enough. And before you change tack, I also see Remus like a brother - like a protective older brother who always knows when I've done something wrong, and gives me grief for it, but doesn't squeal."

"But you know Wormy has a massive crush on you. Has done since fifth year," Sirius' eyes were accusing.

"But this wasn't about Wormtail. This was about Prongs. So why does _he_ seem to threaten you so much when Wormtail doesn't?"

Sirius seemed to choke on his laughter, as though it tasted bitter.

"Because you'd never go out with Wormtail."

"But I'd go out with Prongs?"

"Any girl would go out with Prongs."

"Lily wouldn't. And I certainly wouldn't either," Cassie was adamant, "And even if I did, why would that be so universe-destroying for you? I just don't understand this stupid hang-up of yours."

She rose to her feet, and Sirius reflected the movement, taking an intimidating step towards her. Cassie drew her wand, and pointed it square at Sirius' chest.

"Get away from me, Sirius Black."

His gaze was hard, but it almost, almost softened into something else. Something totally alien. But as quickly as it came, it was gone.

The compartment door slid open. Lily, James, Mary and Remus all stood in the doorway, various degrees of shock painted on their faces. Remus's eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline, Mary looked concerned, and James had an expression of surprise mingled with dastardly pensiveness. Lily's mouth was hanging open, and with a confused look from Sirius to Cassie, she asked what they were all thinking.

"What's going on here, then?"

* * *

><p>When Cassie had first befriended James at the start of their third year, Sirius had made things difficult. He was terse, he was mannerless, and sometimes downright rude. James had pulled him up on it several times to no avail, and it had made their third year tense and difficult. He made it perfectly clear that not only was the idea of a girl hanging out platonically with the Marauders an impossibility, but that she was the last girl he'd possibly choose if it weren't.<p>

Cassie had put up with him, spending most of her time either with James or Remus, who had taken her under his wing almost immediately. But, because of Sirius, she could never be properly part of the gang, and it fostered a bitterness between the two of them.

The night before Valentine's Day, she had been sitting in the common room working on an essay for Herbology. She could remember clearly how she'd blotted her parchment when Sirius suddenly spoke behind her, and the smudged mess that she'd had to repair afterwards. It had been just one out of many of his biting comments, but that night, Cassie had snapped.

"Ok, Black, _what_ is your problem with me?"

He had met her gaze then, considering her for a moment. He seemed to make the decision to treat her as an equal - the frustrating superiority vanished in an instant and was replaced with cold, blunt dislike.

"I don't like you. And I don't want you hanging around us."

"I think I got that vibe, funnily enough," she snorted, "Maybe I should have phrased that better. _Why_?"

"I don't want some girl waltzing into our group, gleaning all our secrets, and manipulating us all. They're all good guys, and way too trusting - and James isn't into you like that, and I don't want you screwing with him, making him think he likes you when he doesn't, or guilt-tripping him into dating you."

Cassie was shocked.

"You are actually insane, you know that, right?"

Sirius remained silent.

"I'm not about to march in and break you guys up, if that's what's scaring you so much."

Sirius shrugged, and looked away. Cassie leaned behind her chair, picking up one of the many scattered cushions in the common room, and launched it at his head with all her might. Sirius took the cushion to the face without flinching, but his expression when it fell was one of surprise rather than the anger that had been there before.

"And I'm not interested in any of you like that. I like Quidditch, and that's about all I can handle on top of all my homework. I just like hanging out with you guys. Well, obviously not with you though, because you're just a basket case with a real superiority issue. Just because the Marauders are popular doesn't mean everyone is chasing you, you know. And not only do I not _like_ any of you like that, I actually actively _don't_ like _you_."

"I don't care what you think of me. I'm not going to let you get to James."

"Be a guard dog all you like, you moron, but you're wasting everybody's time, and alienating yourself from James in the process. Oh, and in case you hadn't clocked it? James is head over heels for Lily Evans. So you've been bullying the _wrong_ _girl_."

Sirius had gone quiet, watching Cassie practically sparking with anger, and then disappeared to the boys' dorm without a word.

Although, with the benefit of hindsight, Cassie knew now what had really been worrying him. Sirius didn't like letting people close. He liked to be adored, sure, and he had a string of girlfriends. But he didn't like letting people in, and her joining the Marauders had been one of the most uncomfortable experiences of his time at Hogwarts.

Cassie and Sirius spent the rest of the third year side stepping around each other. Quite frankly, if she hadn't gotten on so well with James and Remus, she might never have stuck him out to finally become an honorary Marauder. At the very beginning of fourth year, he had cornered her and apologised, telling her that if she wanted to be one of the boys, she could be one of the boys - and promised never to accuse her of trying to use her 'feminine wiles' on the Marauders again. Things had still been awkward for a month or so, until James had suggested pulling a big prank on Sirius. That prank, which resulted in Sirius speaking in a girl's voice for a whole afternoon in Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts, and many, many comments about his own love for James, had brought to life the prank war.

The prank war was what had allowed Cassie and Sirius to become actual friends. The moment they realised they could relax (to a degree - the pranks were pretty epic after all) around each other, they had discovered a slightly antagonistic banter that eventually warmed into a jokey friendship. She had never, and would never, be quite as at ease around Sirius as the rest of the boys, but it hadn't seemed like it would ever be a problem again.

Until now.

Why though? Why now? Why did one conversation with James send Sirius right back into that horrible, distrustful, angry place? He should know by now not to be jealous - she wasn't about to take James away from him. And why, when she knew they covered this before and managed to move on, and she had genuinely no romantic interest in any of them for her feelings to be hurt over, did his accusation hurt so much?

She pointedly ignored Sirius for the rest of the train journey, instead gossiping with Marlene and Mary about the boys in their year. She refused to share a carriage with him, instead riding in a carriage with Mary, Remus and Lily.

"So… what happened?" Lily asked, tentatively.

Cassie shrugged and looked away.

"I don't really want to talk about it. It's stupid."

"If it's stupid," suggested Mary, in her lilting voice, "Then why not let it go? It's the start of our seventh year - the last thing you want to do is waste time falling out with your friends over silly things."

"I somehow don't think it's Sparks that isn't letting go," Remus said, darkly. Cassie's eyes snapped to his. How did Remus _always_ know? Did being a werewolf magically make him an accomplished Legilimens as well?

"All I can say is, I'm not sitting near him at the Feast, ok?"

* * *

><p>"Moony, shift up so I can sit next to Princess Sparkles."<p>

"Alright," Remus shrugged, and slid along the bench. Cassie shot him a wounded gaze, and he smiled guiltily back at her before turning to speak to Peter, who sat opposite.

Sirius made himself comfortable, taking up as much space as he possibly could, and, of course, ending up right in Cassie's personal space. She ignored him, turning to ask Lily whether the changes she'd suggested to the Draught of Living Death did in fact work.

She felt Sirius tugging on the sleeve of her robe. She sighed, much to Lily's amusement, and looked back around at the troublemaker. He was doodling on the sleeve of her robe in gold ink. As he finished his drawing, she watched the little gold lion come to life, running up her sleeve and across her back.

"Yes, well done, I'm in Gryffindor," she snarked, turning back to Lily. The lion ran down her other sleeve, between herself and Lily, and she moved her hand to wipe it off. As she touched the lion, it exploded like a firework of gold glitter, and the dust rearranged itself into the words: _Sorry, Sparks_.

Lily raised her eyebrows at Cassie. _Make up_, she mouthed. Cassie sighed. To Lily, she supposed it looked like just another Cassie-and-Sirius-disagreement that had gotten out of hand.

She glanced across the table at James. She'd noticed that he'd been following her advice: he hadn't hit on Lily once, and had been only politely inquisitive about her summer break. Lily had looked unsure, and Cassie had smiled to herself. James obviously felt he'd done well: he threw a wink at Cassie before turning to speak to Sirius.

"So, Pads, do you fancy a last toss around with a Quaffle tomorrow? Assuming you're going to refuse to try out for the team again this year, I'm not going to have much time to play with you: Quidditch Captain and Head Boy is going to be a lot of work."

"_And_ your N.E.W.T's," Lily added, with a long-suffering expression that made it obvious she thought those were way down James' list of priorities.

"I thought that went without saying," James said gently, "since we're all sitting them."

Lily looked down at the table and said nothing more.

"Well, much as I'd love to, Prongs, I actually promised Cassie I was hers for the day," Sirius drawled, throwing an arm around Cassie and squashing her into his chest before ruffling her hair.

Cassie looked up at him irritatedly, and manoeuvred both hands in between herself and Sirius' chest to push hard against him. Sirius kept a tight hold, refusing to let her break free, watching her face with an innocently expectant expression.

"And when did I imply I wanted you for the day, hmm?" she shot at him.

Sirius barked with laughter.

"Come on, I'll do whatever you want: we can sneak into Hogsmeade, you can practice your Charms on me, you can practice Beating and I'll be your Bludger…"

Cassie couldn't help but laugh, and she rolled her eyes at him. But she had a choice to make. Did she make a point of showing him that his accusations were just as big a deal in seventh year as they were in third year, and that he couldn't go around blaming people for his own mad judgement calls, but risk another horrifically awkward six months? Or did she forgive him whilst it would still be easy to fall back into their comfortable friendship?

"Alright, Padfoot, but you might regret this tomorrow."

Sirius beamed at her, and a mixture of relieved and knowing smiles were exchanged amongst her other friends.

"I absolutely won't, Princess, I promise."


	4. A Really Bad Idea

James and Remus cornered Cassie as everyone vacated the Great Hall.

"So, what the hell was that all about?" James asked incredulously, "Trying to start our final year with as much drama as humanly possible?"

Cassie smacked him on the arm.

"Shut up, this isn't the time _or_ the place - Padfoot will come looking for us in all of five seconds, and we've barely made up."

"He won't - Wormtail's distracting him. Lily and Mary agreed to be back-up on the distraction too, in return for hearing everything later - because, let's face it, Wormy will need help."

Cassie sighed. Her friends were the biggest bunch of gossips and drama queens.

"Right, fine, ok. What do you want to know?"

"What happened on that train?!" James asked frustratedly, running his hand through his messed up hair.

Cassie reluctantly gave them a de-brief on the argument she'd had with Sirius. Both boys knew about the first time this had come up between her and Sirius - and like Cassie, seemed surprised it had resurfaced. Remus looked thoughtful, his chin in his hand. James' hand looked like it had a Sticking Charm cast on it, the amount of time it spent in his hair. But what worried Cassie most was that _that look_ was back on his face.

"But wait," Remus said, slowly, as though his brain wasn't quite working quickly enough, "Why were you two having a private and intense conversation behind the pillar on the platform in the first place?"

James and Cassie shared a guilty look.

"Prongs is going to help me prank old dog-breath himself. I want to make it epic, and two Marauders are better than one."

"Right," Remus said, slowly, as though considering what she had said, "And?"

"And what?" James asked with a nervous smile.

"Urgh, it's Moony, he _always_ knows, Prongs. Just tell him what you want me to do in return."

Remus raised an eyebrow, and focussed on the awkward-looking James.

"Alright, alright - in exchange for me helping her with her prank on Padfoot, she's going to help me get Evans."

Remus' eyes popped.

"Sparks, _please_ don't tell me you're getting involved in that hot mess. It's bad enough he drags the rest of us into his attempts to impress her, but not you too," he pleaded, ignoring James' sounds of protest.

"It's not what you think, Moony. I'm not helping him bag Lily - that would be too weird, and go against everything in the friendship code. But, let's face it, if Prongs wasn't such a twit around her all the time, not only would they get on better, and our lives would be easier, but he might actually stand a chance of letting her get to know him properly. They're going to be spending a lot of time together with this Heads business - I'm just going to help James smooth everything over."

"That's not quite what you said to me," James said, looking suspiciously at Cassie, but she rolled her eyes and shushed him. Remus' eyes, however, had lit with understanding, and his smile was warm when his gaze met hers.

"Anyway," James continued, "I've had an absolute stroke of genius regarding this prank, Sparks. What was it you said? "So he won't underestimate Cassie Derehart ever again"? Is that what we're going for?"

It was strange - rather than looking resigned, or even slightly concerned, Remus' expression was one of genuine shock.

"No, you can't be _serious_!"

"Actually, I'm Prongs," James quipped with a smirk. Cassie's lips quirked up in an amused smile - even though that joke was well overused, it was still pretty funny.

"Don't try and side step me, Prongs. Whatever you do, _do not_ get yourself involved in this," warned Remus, his normally good-natured and easy-going attitude uncharacteristically sharp.

"Involved in what?" Cassie asked. Has she missed something?

"It is our seventh year, Moony. When else is it ever going to happen?" James asked Remus with a smug smile. Remus looked as if he would argue, then, with a concerned look at Cassie, looked heavenward and sighed.

"Do what you like, Prongs, but I'm warning you: pulling this as a prank will backfire on _somebody_, it just remains to be seen who."

Now, Cassie was getting cross. She hated being out of the loop.

"Alright, for the sake of Quidditch, can you both please stop speaking Parseltongue and explain this prank idea please?"

James turned back to her, _that look_ plastered across his face.

"It's going to be the most shattering prank we've ever pulled, Sparks. It's going to knock Padfoot's socks off."

She was intrigued. That was exactly the sort of plan she needed.

"Alright, I'll bite. What's the plot?"

"The first step is to get you a boyfriend," James smirked. Instantly, Cassie was suspicious.

"No way, Prongs. That sounds like trouble with a capital 'T' - and you know fine well I need to concentrate on Quidditch this year if I want to get scouted."

"No!" James exclaimed, "I know what you're thinking, but I'm not pranking you - honest. I solemnly swear, by mischief, that I'm not setting you up for a fall, if that helps."

Cassie deliberated. Especially after the events of that day, she could do with a really good prank to cement herself and Sirius back into their combative friendship. But she never fully trusted James once he got _that look_ on his face, and coupled with Remus' less-than-supportive reaction, she was sure she would be making a big mistake.

"What _is_ the actual plan? As in, the point of putting me through that mental stress?" she asked, hesitantly. James practically crowed with triumph, and Remus hung his head in defeat.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," he groaned.

"Now, now," James shushed him, his handsome face all lit up with childlike glee, "The whole point is to get Sirius to see you as a girl."

"Well, I'm fairly sure that conversation today made it pretty clear he's remembered I'm a girl, even if it _has_ been in doubt in the past. And how on earth is that a good prank?"

"No - that was just him having a bit of PMT and over-thinking things. We're going to make him actually worry. It's a good prank because he absolutely can't cope with the idea of you being a girl, rather than one of the boys - hence his stupid hang up about us. And getting him to admit that you can still be a functional, platonic Marauder, without being a total asexual tomboy, and having to actually genuinely apologise for being a git will mean he never underestimates Cassie Derehart ever again."

Cassie considered it. It would certainly put an end to this weird phobia that Sirius seemed to have if she could prove that a boyfriend changed absolutely nothing. And his face would be a picture when he finally realised he'd been played into admitting it. But it didn't really feel like a prank: it felt more like retribution, and she wasn't entirely sure that was a good idea.

Plus, she slightly resented the implication that being an asexual tomboy was so reprehensible - she was quite happy being more interested in boys' Quidditch skills than how they looked with their tops off.

Then, a really horrible thought hit her.

"No offence," Cassie said, giving James a slightly disgusted look, "But if this involves pretending to be your girlfriend, then I don't think it's a very good idea - it'll just make me look like a total liar and put you in an awkward position with Lily. Plus, I think I'd vomit if I had to pretend to kiss you. I remember that time you ate Hippogriff poop on a forfeit, and that is all I would _ever_ be able to think about."

Remus groaned again, covering his face with his hands.

"This just keeps getting worse!"

"Look, calm down both of you," James continued, totally unfazed, "I didn't mean you and me - that really would be stupid, as well as, er, a bit gross. We just need to select a target."

Remus removed his hands from his face, giving James a long, hard-to-read look.

"If you're actually going to do this, then be sensible. It needs to be someone who is confident and secure enough to cope with Sirius, and yet not somebody who will antagonise him too much. Plus, Sparks has to actually like him."

"Is that really necessary?" James asked, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

"Look," Cassie interjected, "Finding someone who actually wants to go out with me will be hard enough, let alone trying to fill a list of prerequisites. I've never exactly been in high demand. Why don't we just ask Wormy?"

Remus and James shared an amused smile.

"What? I know he wouldn't mind - it would be just as gross as you, Prongs, and he farts for Britain, but at least there's no Lily to worry about."

"That's not what's so funny," Remus laughed.

"Although, let's face it, Wormy would absolutely die of happiness, and then stalk you as a weirdly stinky ghost," James interjected with a fiendish grin.

"What's really amusing is that it would _hardly_ be difficult to find someone suitable," Remus said with a slightly guilty expression.

"Yeah," James gave a breathless laugh, "We've all been keeping the hounds at bay for the last three years - there have been plenty to choose from."

Cassie was momentarily stunned. Were they saying what she thought they were saying? Because, tomboy and not particularly interested in boys she might be, but that most certainly did _not_ give the Marauders the right to chase away anyone who was interested in her… especially when her obliviousness indicated that she'd obviously had no say in the matter.

"You mean… you've been _pranking_ me for three whole years?" Cassie asked in a low, dangerous tone.

Remus' expression froze, but James carried on laughing, unaware.

"Yeah! It started when Padfoot pointed out that Tom McQueen had said to Lisa Davis that Quidditch was a game for brutes, so he was no use, and then that George Hampton had dumped Leslie Morrison by sending his mate over to her at breakfast, so we knew he was no good for you, and making it clear that they weren't getting near you was totally a good thing. Pads said that we were best just vetting them for you, first - that if a guy couldn't get past us then he wasn't worth your time anyway. But, to be honest, it's actually just become really funny. Especially when you're totally unaware of it! Trying to prank them hard enough for them to back off whilst keeping you in the dark is an absolute art form -"

Remus elbowed James, hard. James turned to him, annoyed, but hesitated when he saw Remus' expression. He slowly turned around to look at Cassie, a hint of fear on his face, and swallowed, hard.

"You… _you_… are absolute…" Cassie took a deep breath, and the boys watched her in terrified fascination, like mice watching a snake, "… geniuses. I didn't have a clue! Oh my god, I kind of wish I had so I could've seen their faces!"

Remus and James looked at one another, wary and bemused.

"I sometimes forget just how oddly this girl's mind works, you know?" James said to Remus, weakly. Remus nodded, totally lost for words.

"So, how many are we talking here? What sort of options might we have for _Operation Boyfriend Prank_?"

James shook his head quickly, trying to recover his equilibrium.

"Watch out, Sparks, or your ego will end up as big as mine if you're not careful."

"I think that's impossible, mate," said a slowly recovering Remus.

"So, what are we thinking for a target, then?" Cassie pressed.

James looked up at the stairwell, very aware that the other students had by now all disappeared.

"Look, we need to do some reconnaissance anyway, so let's make sure we're partners in Transfiguration, and I can tell you all about the meeting with the prefects, and we can start considering candidates?" James suggested.

"Good idea," Cassie agreed.

"I don't really want any level of involvement in this, but I'm scared of how this will go without some sensible intervention," Remus deliberated aloud, "So you'd better partner me in Defence, and that way I can keep up with whatever stupidity you two are planning."

"Sounds like mayhem, gentlemen," Cassie said with a grin as the three of them made their way back to Gryffindor tower for their seventh and final year.


	5. Things Getting Into Motion

It was very strange not having Lily in their dorm any more. The spare bed loomed in the corner of the dorm room - although, with four girls remaining in the dorm, the wardrobe had not remained empty for very long. Whilst Cassie had no need for extra storage space for her clothes, her Marauder's brain had quickly clocked that the space underneath the big four-poster could be an excellent hiding place for illicit materials.

Cassie shared her dorm with Mary and two other girls: Georgina Baker, a Muggleborn with a talent for Arithmancy and wizard's chess, and Lydia Ross, who, alongside her younger brother David, played for the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Chaser and Beater respectively. Cassie had always been slightly thankful that she didn't share a dorm with Marlene, despite their friendship - she had witnessed the state of Marlene's stuffed-full wardrobe, and had heard plenty about her loud snoring from her dorm-mates.

"I could easily move in with you though, now Lils has her Head Girl's dorm," Marlene said excitedly as the girls made their way towards the Great Hall for breakfast. Lily had met them in the common room, with Marlene, as always, the last to finish getting ready. She had sighed a little at Cassie, who was already in her scarlet Quidditch robes, her dark curls escaping from the hasty ponytail she'd pulled up.

Mary looked to Cassie a little desperately.

"Um, we'd need to check with Lydia and Georgina, Marls," Cassie said hesitantly, "And I know that they've pretty much filled the spare wardrobe already, so I can't see them being keen…"

Marlene shrugged her shoulders, obviously not too disappointed.

"Oh well, it was worth asking," she said, brightly.

Cassie looked up the the ceiling as the girls entered the Great Hall. It was bright blue, with only a few wisps of magical cloud. It was one of those bright, slightly cold autumn days that were so rare in Scotland, and perfect weather for a spot of Quidditch practice.

The girls took their seats at the Gryffindor table, Cassie eying up the spread hungrily. Mary saw her expression and gave a tinkling laugh.

"Oh, Cass - it's good to see nothing has changed," she said merrily.

"Although it would be nice if her table manners had," Marlene sniffed as Cassie started piling eggs onto her plate. Cassie stuffed a large forkful into her mouth, and shot a large and eggy smile at her friend, who pulled a disgusted face.

"I just wonder how someone so small and skinny can eat so much food," Lily sighed, a little enviously.

"So how was your first night dorming with Prongs?" Cassie asked Lily, although, around her mouthful of food, it sounded more like: "Ho howash yer hursht night gorming hif Hongsh?"

Well practiced at translating Cassie's dinnertime comments, Lily didn't bat an eye.

"It was… weird. Not what I was expecting."

The other three girls froze, and turned slowly to stare at Lily. She frowned, and crossed her arms defensively.

"Don't look at me like that. I haven't changed my opinion of him. It was just weird, that's all."

"Go on," said Mary, with an excited smile, "Tell us."

"Alright," said Lily, and the four girls leaned in towards each other over the table.

"I noticed him acting a bit weirdly on the train, in the prefect's carriage. He didn't approach me, was just chatting with Remus and Mary, and then that Fletchly chap from Hufflepuff. There was none of his usual goonish behaviour at all."

"I suppose he'll be a bit quiet for a while, what with his father, and now with the Head Boy thing hanging over him," Marlene concluded.

"That's what I thought. But then when we got ourselves organised for the meeting, he briefly said 'hi' and 'congrats', before calling the meeting to order. He didn't once compliment me, or make a suggestive comment, or even wink!"

Mary and Marlene's eyebrows shot up. Cassie took a fraction longer - she had to stop herself from smiling first.

"That _is_ weird," Marlene admitted.

"I had noticed he was quiet, but hadn't realised to what degree," Mary added.

"Then - you'll have noticed, Mary - he went on to blatantly disagree with me when we started discussing patrols!"

"How?" Marlene gasped.

"I said we should patrol singly, with a prefect to each corridor, but Potter said we'd be better patrolling in pairs. That way, if something should happen, we not only have a second witness which would stop the prefects being accused of bias, but it would stop anyone ganging up on them - and also meant that, in an emergency, someone could go for help whilst the other stayed at the scene."

"That is actually a surprisingly good idea," Cassie said, slightly shocked. She hadn't considered how well James' troublemaking experience would translate into rule enforcement.

"Yeah, I know - that's the weird part," Lily frowned, "I had expected him to slack off, or joke about - not actually contribute and be constructive.

"And then, after the Feast, once the first-years were settled in, he caught me and suggested we head back to our new dorm together. I was obviously suspicious, but we actually had quite a polite and easy conversation about our new duties on the way back to our rooms. But then, once we were back and started exploring our shared study, he _really_ surprised me."

"He didn't propose, did he?" Marlene asked suspiciously.

"No - in fact, he told me that he wanted to clear the air. He said that he was sorry if his old crush on me and his inappropriate and juvenile handling of it had made me uncomfortable in any way, and that if it made things easier, he had given up on me. He then said he wanted us to be friends this year, as it would make living together and patrolling together - oh, sorry yes," she added at the confused looks on Marlene and Cassie's faces, "we decided in the meeting that it was best if the two of us patrolled together as everyone else was assigned their house pairs - and asked if I could forgive him and start this year with a clean slate."

The girls were silent for a few moments, considering what Lily had shared.

"I hate to say it," Marlene finally said, "But it sounds like James Potter has finally grown up."

"I have to agree," added Mary, gently, "Although I'm possibly not quite as surprised. Look what's happened to him. He was always a good guy if not always a pleasant one, and I always guessed that when he grew up a bit he'd be lovely."

Lily raised her eyebrows at Mary, who blushed.

"Not like that, Lily."

"Well," Cassie stated, drawing Lily's gaze away from Mary's pink-tinged face, "I always knew Prongs had it in him. Other than his bad habit of hexing people, and his totally embarrassing failure with you, he's pretty decent."

"Who's pretty decent? And by decent, I know you really mean fantastically good-looking," came an amused voice from behind Cassie. Lily let out a noisy sigh, and rolled her eyes. Cassie turned around to see Sirius standing behind her, and the rest of the Marauders not far behind.

"And this is when I say goodbye… I want to properly make myself at home in my new rooms before I go and pick up my class schedule," said Lily, rising from her seat.

"Oooh, can I come and see your rooms?" Marlene asked, bright with curiosity.

"Of course," Lily said warmly, "Would you like to come too, Mary?"

"Yes please," she said gratefully, "Although I need to speak to McGonagall about my timetable sooner than later. I want to take Divination _and_ Ancient Runes, like last year, but Georgina said that she'd been told they clash."

"Well, I'm going to be on the pitch if anyone needs me, otherwise I'll see you at lunch?" Cassie said to her departing friends.

"We'll see you then," the girls waved. Lily also gave a small smile to James as she passed, who smiled gently in return before joining his friends.

Sirius plonked himself down next to Cassie on the bench. Peter took the seat on her other side, giving her an smile so enthusiastic it made his eyes water, whilst Remus and James sat down opposite.

James was also in his Gryffindor Quidditch robes, whilst Sirius wore the dark green kit of the Holyhead Harpies that Cassie had bought him as a joke last Christmas. She had thought to get a rise out of him with the all-female team's robes, but instead he had worn them proudly, and loudly commented in the common room that watching women hit Bludgers at each other made Quidditch much more interesting.

"I say, Prongs old boy, you really are being very restrained with Evans this year. Have you got a totally ridiculous and embarrassing display prepared or have you just lost your touch?" Sirius asked, piling his plate with sausages, bacon and beans.

"I am following Sparks' advice and playing it cool with her," James said with a superior sniff. Sirius looked at Cassie suspiciously.

"Don't even start, Padfoot. You're still not out of my bad books," Cassie warned.

Peter looked anxiously between his two friends, unable to choose a side in their feud. Whilst he worshipped the ground James and Sirius walked on, he had also taken a shine to Cassie after she had defended his rat form from the other Marauders' teasing in their fifth year by calling it 'cute'. So, unable to decide which bandwagon to jump on, he instead attempted to change the subject.

"So, are we playing Quidditch today?" he squeaked at James. James raised an eyebrow.

"Well, Sparks and Padfoot are, and I was going to gatecrash…" James trailed off. Peter, however, was oblivious to James' hint.

"Oh, well, I'll need to quickly go and unpack my robes and my broom," Peter gushed excitedly, "And I got one of those stopwatches you were telling me about, Sparkles, so I can time laps and things for you. You're definitely going to win the Quidditch Cup this year."

He beamed at Cassie, causing Sirius to snort bacon out of his nose.

"Um, I could actually do with a hand, Wormy," Remus hesitantly put forward, "The Map needs a tune up - you saw how we almost walked into the Bloody Baron last night. I checked it this morning, and it looks like none of the ghosts are coming up."

Sirius mouthed '_Thank you!_' at his friend across the table. Peter was keen, but best kept as far away from a broom as physically possible.

"But…" Peter looked crushed. Cassie wasn't sure whether he saw through Remus' excuse - after all, Peter was far from the excellent Charms and Transfiguration student his friends were, and not the most qualified to tamper with a temperamental Marauder's Map - but he was most certainly disappointed not to shadow his heroes to the Quidditch pitch.

Cassie quickly moved the subject on, something she felt she was having to do far too often nowadays.

"So, what were you lot sneaking about doing last night then?"

Sirius grinned.

"Prongsie-boy was telling us all about his new Head Boy gig through the mirror, and mentioned how sweet his new pad was. So obviously we had to go and inspect it ourselves."

"At _half past midnight_," Remus added, irritably.

"And decorate it!" Peter chipped in, chirpily.

"Yes," James said, darkly, "Thanks for that. I'm just glad I got up before Lily and had a chance to remove the curse from the drawer in her desk, and the Soot-Spitting Hex from the fire, or she might never have spoken to me again."

Sirius sniggered.

'Speaking of Lily…" Cassie raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Did… she she say anything to you?" James tried to appear nonchalant, but the crossing, uncrossing and re-crossing of his arms belied it.

"Maybe. But I want to hear your side of the story first."

"Oho! So there's a _story_?" Sirius rubbed his hands together in glee. Peter leaned across the table with a look of intense interest on his face, and even Remus found himself leaning in slightly.

"Well, not really. I purposefully didn't speak to her on the train, other than a quick 'hello', not to be rude. And then I came up with that idea about patrols - you know, Moony, about patrolling in pairs? - which was the total opposite of what she had suggested, and rather than just letting her do what she wanted, I actually disagreed with her. She looked totally shocked."

Sirius looked suspiciously at James.

"Why? What _are_ you plotting, Prongs?"

James smirked, but carried on with his story, much to Remus and Cassie's interest, in particular.

"So I didn't speak to her again until we went to leave the common room last night - I suggested we walk back together. I tried to just make smalltalk, like I would at one of the Slug Club parties with people I wanted to impress, and she chatted away with me quite happily. And then - the _piece de resistance_ - I said what you said to say about not being into her anymore and wanting to be friends, Sparks. She looked totally blindsided."

Sirius narrowed his eyes at Cassie, but said nothing, mindful of her sharp words to him previously.

"So what are you trying to achieve by _not_ chasing her?" Sirius asked, a hint of incredulity in his voice.

"I'm trying to be her friend," James beamed.

Sirius opened his mouth, presumably to say something rude, and Cassie kicked him sharply under the table.

"OUCH! What was that for?" he complained, rubbing his shin.

"I'm very pleased for you, James," Cassie said proudly, totally ignoring Sirius' complaints.

"Yeah, thanks. So, should I ask her out again tonight?" he queried.

Remus and Cassie shared a long-suffering look.

"No, James. Don't even _think_ about it. We'll re-assess the situation after Halloween, ok?" she told him.

"Oh," James' face fell.

"Come on, Casanova," Sirius laughed, rising from the bench, "Let's go play some Quidditch."

* * *

><p>After a long warm-up, and testing out a few new exercises James was considering for team training that season, the three Gryffindors decided to play two-on-one fast break. Cassie thought to herself how unfairly this had worked out when the two tall boys were suddenly flying towards her with Quidditch-madness in their eyes; she was an exceptional Seeker, and a passable Chaser, but her short stature and light build didn't make for a great Keeper. Normally, James would agree that she made scoring too easy and therefore spoiled training if she played Keeper, but Sirius seemed to quite enjoy trying to knock her off her broom with the force of his throws, and so James was overruled by his best friend. Whilst it stung a little how quickly they scored, she soon had her own back as the direction of play changed, and she and James were flying swiftly at Sirius.<p>

After twenty minutes of fast-action play, they stopped for a break. James took a long draught from his water bottle, before perfectly imitating a fountain by spraying water halfway across the field.

"What on _earth_ was that?!" he glared at his two friends. Cassie looked surprised, although it quickly turned into an amused grin. Sirius, however, looked totally innocent: a sure sign that he was far from it.

"PADFOOT!" James roared, as his already wild hair started growing. Hair started sprouting out from his jawline, right around his chin, and growing down his neck. For a moment, Cassie thought he'd been cursed into a hairball, and then the sudden growth halted as quickly as it started. James now sported a rather extravagant lion's mane.

Cassie started at him, gobsmacked, for a moment, before glancing at Sirius. James' mane, and Sirius' childlike glee sent her into stitches of laughter, Sirius' great guffaws soon joining her.

"Forget - Chaser - you - look like you - should be the - TEAM MASCOT!" she managed to breathe between gales of deep belly-laughter. James gave her shoulder an irritated push and, weak from amusement, she fell over, continuing laughing from a pile on the ground.

"I've been desperate to try that potion out before I spiked the Slytherins' pumpkin juice with it," a very proud Sirius admitted, "I was thinking it would help with team morale at your first game of the season."

"Can you imagine Snivelly as a lion?" James reluctantly smiled. He went to run a hand through his hair automatically, and sharply drew his hand back as it touched his mane. This only sent Cassie into another bout of breathless laughter.

"You know, sometimes I really dislike you two," James grumbled.

Cassie began to recover.

"You can have some of my water if you like, Mufasa," she sniggered as she got up from the floor. James looked confused, obviously not understanding the reference, which just caused Cassie to snigger more. Unsurprisingly, he waved off her outstretched bottle.

At James' insistence, they only went back to playing once Sirius gave him the antidote. Sirius soon regretted his jape when James put all of his aggression into a particularly impressive shot at goal, leaving Sirius with a steadily darkening eye as they finally headed back up towards the castle.

"At least you had an antidote for your mane - I was looking forward to impressing Anita Hayworth from Ravenclaw tomorrow in Muggle Studies, but there's no way she'll notice my impressive physique when my face is mutilated," complained Sirius.

"I'm sure you'll wow her with your wonderful personality," Cassie said, dryly. James snorted, and Sirius shot her an evil glance.

"'Wonderful personality': that's what you say about _ugly_ people," he moaned.

"If the robes fit," James said, shrugging.

"Although, to be honest, you don't have a wonderful personality either, Pads, so you're double stuffed," Cassie pointed out.

Sirius howled in frustration. James and Cassie howled with laughter.

* * *

><p>Cassie went with the girls to McGonagall's office after lunch to collect their timetables.<p>

"I want to have a chat with her about university applications," Mary confided as they climbed the staircase.

"University?" Cassie asked, curiously, "I didn't know the wizarding world had universities."

"They don't, per se," Lily informed her, "But the University of Cambridge has a School of Experimental Witchcraft and Wizardry, and there's a small department in the History Faculty for History of Magic, and in the Classics Faculty for Ancient Runes. The Astronomy department actually works right alongside the Muggle astrophysics students, I believe. It's supposed to be great, because all the Muggle students and professors all wander around in robes talking about things no one else understands anyway, so wizards barely get a second glance."

"But it's pretty competitive as there is only one college for wizards, and the Ministry funding isn't very good. So the likelihood of me getting a place isn't high," Mary looked a little glum.

"But you had O's in nearly all your O.W.L.'s, Mary - and you got special permission to study Alchemy at N.E.W.T. and everything, so you must have a pretty good shot," Cassie said, supportively.

"But I thought Cambridge was really snobby - only took purebloods, that sort of thing," Marlene said. Mary's brow creased further.

"I'd heard that too, but McGonagall says they have been working on their Access scheme to encourage more halfbloods and Muggleborns to apply. She's been pretty encouraging, actually."

"There you go, then," Cassie said, with finality, "Just apply."

"What are you taking this year, anyway, Mary?" asked Lily.

"Divination, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Alchemy and Astronomy," Mary rattled off.

"Oh, good - I should be with you for Runes and Arithmancy, then," Marlene smiled.

"Me too," added Lily, "Although I took Potions, Charms and History of Magic as well."

"Are none of you doing Transfiguration, Defence or Herbology?" Cassie asked, dismayed, "I thought you did Defence last year, Lils?"

"I did, and Transfiguration too, but Professor Edgars is just awful, and I didn't think I'd get a good enough grade in Transfiguration. So I dropped them for History of Magic and Runes."

"He's not that bad," Cassie defended the very jumpy Defence teacher. Teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts whilst, outside the safety of Hogwarts, He Who Must Not Be Named was creating terror took some amount of bravery, in her opinion.

"And I've taken Herbology, so you've got me," Marlene said with a smile, "Although I'll be on my own for Muggle Studies… but I bagsy you for my History of Magic partner, Lils."

"Then I'm having her for Potions!" Cassie called as they entered McGonagall's office. The lady herself looked up with a stern expression from her desk.

"Please keep the volume _down_, Derehart: you are a seventh year now, and I expect you to behave with a little more maturity."

"Sorry, Professor," Cassie apologised, much more brightly than was really suitably for a genuine apology.

"Here are your timetables, ladies," McGonagall said, as she handed the girls their respective pieces of parchment, "And I believe you wanted a word with me, Macdonald?"

Lily, Cassie and Marlene said their goodbyes to Mary, and made their way back to Lily's dorm.

"It's just absolutely perfect that we have our own private common room now," Marlene gushed as the portrait of a unicorn drinking at a stream raised its head and bowed to them before swinging open.

Lily raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"I wouldn't say its _our_ private common room, Marlene," she said with a smile as they climbed into the Heads' study.

"Exactly, Evans - it's definitely the _Marauders_' private common room," came a familiar voice from one of the armchairs near the fire.

"This is going to get old very quickly," Marlene said, sourly, with a dirty look at Sirius. Sirius beamed back at her.

"Play nice, McKinnon - or, at least in front of the Head Boy and Girl," he said with a wink. Cassie pretended to retch, and Sirius feigned a shot to the heart, much to the amusement of James, Remus and Peter.

"You'd better remember that I can give you detention, Black - and I'm not going to go easy on you, like Potter or Lupin," Lily said, trying to sound stern, "And I'm not even going to ask what you've been doing to end up with a black eye before classes have even started."

Cassie and James' eyes met, and they shared a grin.

"I do like a girl in charge," Sirius hinted suggestively to Lily, before shooting a look at James, "Don't you agree, Prongs?"

Lily gave a deep sigh, ready for James to make another inappropriate advance. But James simply rolled his eyes at Sirius' obvious baiting.

"That's enough, Padfoot; leave the poor girls in peace. Why don't you go and get a deck of cards for Exploding Snap?"

The laughter was wiped out of Lily's face at this, and she seemed to look at James in wary consideration as the boys started playing noisily by the fire.

"Shall we go up to your room?" Marlene asked gently, sensing that something was up.

"Yeah, ok," Lily said, leading the girls towards the left hand staircase that lead out of the Heads' shared study-cum-sitting-room.

They were about to ascend the stairs when James called over to them, drawing everyone's attention.

"Oh, by the way, Sparks, I meant to tell you: Diggory was asking after you on the train yesterday, when we were in the prefects' compartment. Wanted to know how my 'hot-shit Seeker' was."

Everyone's gaze went to a very surprised looking Cassie, who felt herself turn a little pink.

"What can I say, Prongs, I'm good at what I do," she grinned.

The girls raised their eyebrows at her.

"Cassie, you really are a bit dense," Marlene laughed. This set everybody off laughing with her, while Cassie went from pink to red to puce.

Sirius started laughing, too - but just a fraction after everybody else.


	6. First Day Back, And It's Getting Sirius

Cassie's first class was Transfiguration, which also happened to be her worst subject. Thankfully, James had agreed to be her partner: despite his propensity for slacking off, he was a natural at Transfiguration. He liked the required accuracy and specificity. Cassie, however, did not. Unlike Charms, where an embellishment could add another layer of complexity, in Transfiguration any straying from the pattern tended to blow things up and leave a smell like rotten eggs. Needless to say, Cassie had a strong scent association with Transfiguration.

James was waiting for her outside McGonagall's classroom, obviously remembering his promise. When he spotted Cassie, hidden amongst the throng of second and third years, he gave an enthusiastic wave.

The pair took a seat in the second row from the back, left of the centre of the room. She saw McGonagall watching them closely as they sat down, and she gave a bright smile and a wave to their Head of House, who shook her head disapprovingly.

"I thought she was going to split us up there for a second," James murmured to Cassie as they pulled out their Transfiguration books, quills and parchment.

"Just don't ever look guilty when you meet their eyes, James. Plus, you being all respectable now has to help - they can't separate us for no reason now without looking like you're a bad example," Cassie whispered back, cheerfully.

"There has to be _some_ perks to the job, or nobody would do it," James pointed out.

Sirius and Remus were also in their class, and they paired up immediately, moving to the seats next to James and Cassie. McGonagall, however, was quick to place them on the other side of the room - her trust in James obviously only went so far. Peter, however, arrived late, and had to sit next to a rather large Hufflepuff girl in the front row who glared at him so intensely that he had to consider for a moment whether or not sitting down would endanger his life. Sirius sniggered at him as he sat down.

McGonagall spent the first half of the lesson giving them an overview of the curriculum for the year ahead. Cassie felt a surge of nausea when she realised that Human Transfiguration would be a large part of that year's study - after her first attempt at colouring her eyebrows last year, she had managed to Vanish both of them, and had never quite recovered her confidence.

"We'll start today with some practical revision of Conjuring Spells. Keep it simple to start: eagle quills, please. You may refer to your textbook if required."

A hubbub of noise suddenly rose as pupils began their practice. Cassie smiled at James.

"You can start, Mr Transfiguration. I never seem to quite manage to Conjure what I'm trying to," Cassie sighed.

James made a precise yet graceful movement with his wand, and muttered the incantation. A lovely eagle's quill appeared on the desk in front of him.

"Well done, Potter," McGonagall acknowledged, "You obviously haven't lost your touch."

Cassie rolled her eyes. Sirius, on the other side of the room, jeered, incurring a long-suffering look from James.

"Check you out, Prongs - Head Boy, Quidditch captain, McGonagall's favourite, the infamous Sirius Black's love interest…" Cassie whispered.

"Just you get on and Conjure something, Sparks - she's watching."

Cassie rolled up her robe sleeves, and gave an enthusiastic wave of her wand. There was a puff of smoke (never a good sign) which smelt like stale water, and cleared to reveal a small pile of feather-down.

McGonagall murmured something unintelligible, and the mess on Cassie's desk vanished.

"You have clearly not been practicing, Derehart, despite now being seventeen and perfectly capable of home practice over the summer. I expect to see a proper quill before the end of this lesson, or I'll take points from Gryffindor."

Cassie sighed.

"You'd think she'd be at least pleased it wasn't a frog-rabbit."

"The Principle of Artificianimate Quasi-Dominance…" James trailed off at the look on Cassie's face, "Well, it's not that difficult. Maybe try it like this, Sparks…"

* * *

><p>Sirius caught Cassie's arm after class - where she had been given her first detention of term for swearing very loudly when, her Conjured eagle quill having started singing Celestina Warbeck songs loudly and in a nasal tone, her stylish counter-charm managed to also Vanish her hard-won quill.<p>

"Are you off to Herbology next?" he asked.

"I don't know if I should bother. If seventh year is going to carry on as it's started, I'm seriously considering going home," she said, glumly.

Sirius threw an arm around her shoulder, comfortingly, and tugged her in for a half-hug.

"You were just unlucky we had Transfiguration first thing. Don't worry, Prongs and I will get you through it, like we have every other year."

"Oh, all right," she conceded.

The pair made their way down to the greenhouses, and secured a table together.

"So, did Prongs mention when Quidditch try-outs are? Next week at some point?" Sirius asked as Sprout set them to mixing different types of soil.

"Yeah, Tuesday after last period, before dinner. Why?" Cassie asked, curiously. Sirius could certainly play Quidditch - he was a good Chaser, a passable Keeper and a pretty good Beater - but he had always refused point blank to try out for the team. He claimed it was due to his disdain for organised sports - but Cassie was never entirely sure whether he was just afraid to be poorly compared to James' rather exceptional flying, or worried about facing his brother, Regulus, who was the Seeker for Slytherin House, on the pitch.

"Oh, I was going to make a move on that Lydia Ross, the Chaser - the one in your dorm? - but I wanted to make sure my schedule worked with try-outs, or there's no point getting her hopes up." Sirius went to brush back some of the long black hair that had fallen into his eyes, leaving a smear of soil across his forehead.

Cassie looked at him incredulously, before giving in and licking her thumb to wipe the soil mark off of Sirius' face.

"You really are a piece of work, Padfoot," she said.

Sirius pulled a face, and exaggerated wiping her saliva off his forehead.

"And you are disgusting, Sparks. Please keep your spit to yourself in future."

Cassie fought a smile.

"I'll try and remember that."

* * *

><p>Cassie and Sirius made their way up to the castle for break. Sirius had instigated a poking war during the second half of Herbology, and they continued to suddenly attack each other's sides at random intervals as they walked.<p>

"I'm off to the library," Cassie told Sirius between attacks, "I have a free study period next, and I said I'd meet Lily in the library for a briefing before Potions."

"A briefing?" Sirius asked, confused.

"Yeah - Lily is determined to get an 'O' again this year, and, as her partner, I can't bring the side down."

"Ouch," winced Sirius.

"Yeah, but at least my Potions grade will be good. Unlike Transfiguration," she said, another mope clearly on the horizon.

"And then you're in Defence and Charms after lunch, right?" Sirius quickly tried to move the topic on, alarmed by Cassie's sudden slip back into Transfiguration-related-depression. As an added precaution, he poked Cassie in the side again, getting his hand slapped for his efforts, but bringing a frustrated smile to her face.

"Yeah. I said I'd be Moony's partner for Defence."

"You really are doing well, aren't you? Prongs for Transfiguration, Moony for Defence, Lily for Potions. You aiming to become an Auror or something?" Sirius joked.

"Well," Cassie hesitated, "Not properly."

Sirius' eyebrows shot sky high.

"You mean, you're _actually_ thinking about it? I was joking!" he exclaimed. Cassie shook her head, hesitantly.

"No, I'm not, not really. I'm not good enough at Transfiguration; to be honest, I'm still suspicious that one of you lot tampered with my O.W.L results. But I think with everything that's happening outside of Hogwarts right now, it doesn't do anyone any harm to be prepared. Although if I'm relying on Conjuring to save my life at any point, I think that'll be the end of me."

Her half-joke fell flat. Sirius went quiet, his expression thoughtful.

"Have you been reading the _Prophet_?" he asked, gently. Cassie took a deep breath and nodded.

"More disappearances every week. Everyone keeping to themselves. High profile witches and wizards suddenly coming out in support of blood superiority. Moony, Mary and I are all half-bloods, and Lily's a Muggleborn - any and all of us and our families could end up in danger once we've graduated, depending on what happens."

"So, what, Prongs and I don't have anything to worry about? Because I'm the one who's been blasted from my family tree, and Prongs is the one who's just lost his father," Sirius said sharply. Cassie put a hand on his arm.

"Don't be like that - that's not what I meant at all, and you know it. I'm well aware you two have had it very rough the last year. But you, and Prongs, and even Wormy and Marlene are from wizarding stock - you won't be the ones on You-Know-Who's radar. No reflection on your character, or anything else, Pads."

"I can't help my family," he said through gritted teeth.

"I know you can't. Lily can't help hers either. And I can't help mine."

Sirius looked intently down as they started to climb one of Hogwarts' staircases.

"Seven years…" he murmured, "Seven years since You-Know-Who started to rise to power. We were only ten years old. This is the way things have been for such a huge, formative chunk of our lives."

'And we've been safely in Hogwarts, not really understanding what's going on."

They both went quiet again.

"You took the same classes as Prongs and I - what were you intending to do, careers wise?"

"Wish I hadn't taken Potions - can't believe I've signed on for more Slughorn than absolutely necessary," Sirius grinned, but his expression turned thoughtful and he half-heartedly bit at his lip, "I don't know. I have that inheritance from my uncle Alphard, so I'm not worried about money."

His expression changed and a cheeky glint came back into his eyes, "Maybe I just need to find myself a clever, hardworking wife, and live in comfort for the rest of my life."

"Sounds like a rotten deal for your poor wife," Cassie snorted.

"But she gets my undeniable wit, charm, and skills in the bedroom," Sirius threw a blinding smile at her. Cassie dissolved into laughter.

"I'm headed to Muggle Studies," said Sirius, as they hesitated at the bottom of another flight of stairs, "But I can walk past the library on my way, if that's where you're going."

Cassie looked at him like he was an idiot.

"But isn't the Muggle Studies classroom up there?" she asked, indicating the staircase.

"I know a shortcut, it's fine," Sirius breezed, and they carried on towards the library. All the Marauders regularly traversed the numerous secret passages around Hogwarts, but Sirius knew them like the back of his hand. When they'd created the Marauder's Map, he'd even had a few passages to mark that Cassie hadn't known existed. She didn't doubt him.

Lily was standing waiting outside the library. But rather than an annoyed Lily, counting the seconds on her Muggle wristwatch whilst waiting for her friend, they found a bright, happy, giggling Lily. Mainly, because Lily was not alone.

"Hi, Cassie! Look who I bumped into!" the redhead called when she spotted Cassie. Lily's companion turned in the direction of her wave.

"Oho!" Sirius laughed quietly to Cassie, "Prongs would _not_ be happy if he were here to see this!"

He was not quite as tall as Sirius or James, and had bright blonde, wavy hair, and twinkling blue eyes which were perfectly complimented by his blue and bronze Ravenclaw tie. He was reasonably good looking, but Cassie knew that he also was charming, considerate and confident, which made him twice as attractive as he first appeared.

"Cassie!" Jack Mason strode over to where Cassie stood beside Sirius, and drew her into a hug, "It feels like forever since I've seen you. Lily mentioned in Runes that she was meeting you, and I thought I'd come up and say 'hi'. How was your summer?"

Sirius' face darkened.

"It was good, Jack, thanks. How was yours?" she said with a smile.

"Right, well, I'd better be off to Muggle Studies," Sirius said, in a cheery tone that was at odds with his thundercloud expression, "I'll see you girls at lunch."

He spun on his heel and stalked off. Jack, Cassie and Lily looked after him for a moment, before exchanging confused expressions.

"What's up with Black?" asked the Ravenclaw boy.

"Who knows, Jack. He's a bit like that," Cassie brushed off his concern, "Now, do you fancy joining Lily and I for some Potions prep? I think Lily's been making notes on alterations to the Draught of Living Death?"

"That would be really useful, thanks," he beamed, and Cassie found herself naturally responding to his happiness with a smile of her own. Until she noticed the sly edge to Lily's own smile, and remembered the conversation they'd shared in Lily's bedroom at the tail end of the summer. Cassie coloured.

"So," Cassie tried to break the sudden awkwardness as they made their way into the huge Hogwarts library, "Have you actually followed any Quidditch at all this summer, Jack?"


	7. Party Invites

The first week back at Hogwarts passed in a blur. Their teachers had done their level best to scare their students witless about their N.E.W.T.'s - and in some cases, notably Peter Pettigrew's, who had broken down in Potions and run headfirst into the closed classroom door, they had succeeded - and had dished out more homework than Cassie or her friends had ever believed physically possible. One Ravenclaw boy had tried to manage his schedule better by taking a Quick-Quotes Quill to class to take notes, so that he could catch up on the hours of sleep lost to essay-writing, but after a less than flattering portrait of Flitwick was rendered on his parchment rather than the required notes, he soon found himself in detention, ironically writing lines by hand in varieties of charmed invisible ink for third year Charms students to experiment with.

Whilst James had kept his nose very clean on his return to Hogwarts, no small part due to the badge that glinted on his chest, not all the Marauders had fared as well. Cassie had ended up in detention twice that week - the one she had received in her very first class of the year from McGonagall, and another from Slughorn two days later. She had jinxed a cauldron that Mulciber, one of the Slytherins, had a potion simmering away in to spit its contents at anyone who looked into it - but this backfired when Slughorn decided to wander round and have a look at everyone's work. Although, after giving her detention, Slughorn had complimented her skillful jinx, and invited her and Lily to a Slug Club party on the Friday evening.

"A little welcome back gathering," he'd said with a self-indulgent smile.

Friday afternoon had, by the grace of all that was magical, a double free period after lunch. Whilst a quick visit to Honeydukes' for supplies, James' Cloak and the Marauder's Map getting their much-needed outing and Sirius his much needed walk, was the first order of the day, Cassie and the boys could be found by mid-afternoon in the Gryffindor common room, their homework and a mountain of sweet wrappers in front of them.

"WHAT has BECOME of us?" lamented Sirius, who was flopped across one of the squishy armchairs, his long legs draped across the arm.

Peter looked up from a pile of parchment, his beady eyes as wide as they could go.

"We're, uh, doing homework, Sirius," he said, slowly, as if afraid of giving the wrong answer. He looked over to the others for reassurance: Remus was taking notes from _Advanced Potion Making_, the other arm resting on the arm of the couch and his hand twisted in his dirty-blonde hair; James was staring at a half-written Ancient Runes translation with a sudden realisation that he had it completely wrong, his hazel eyes wide; Cassie lounged across the rest of the couch she shared with Remus, her head on his thigh and her legs over the arm at the opposite end, squinting at an essay on Inferi that she held above her head. He looked back down at his own shambolic Transfiguration notes, then looked up again, his beam back now that he felt more confident in his answer.

"WHEN did the MARAUDERS ever do HOMEWORK in the FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL?!" Sirius wailed, raising his arms in the air, but too lazy to actually get up.

Remus didn't lift his green eyes from his textbook, but raised his quill from his notes for a moment to point it at Sirius.

"I'd like to highlight that I've _always_ attempted to do my homework promptly," he pointed out.

Cassie lowered her essay, and looked over at Sirius lazily with her eyes half closed.

"And Lily and Remus between them have always _tried_ to make me do mine, so I do usually get at least some of it done," she added.

"And me!" Peter joined in keenly now that the onus was not on himself.

Sirius turned his grey gaze to James, who shifted uneasily in his seat.

"I _have_ to, Padfoot - I'm Head Boy now!"

"BETRAYED!" Sirius shrieked, sending a pack of first years fleeing the common room in consternation.

"Oh shush, Pads. I _am_ trying to concentrate. I need to get this finished before Lily comes and drags me off to get ready for the Slug Club party," Cassie admonished him, again without looking up.

Sirius leaned over and snatched a piece of Peter's parchment from him amid squeaks of dismay. He pulled out his wand and waved it casually over the parchment, which then began to engage in self-origami, folding itself into a perfect paper dragon. The dragon flew around the circle of Marauders, blowing inkblot flames across their notes.

A barrage of pillows flew across the room to hit Sirius with great force. To Peter's dismay, a jet of green sparks also turned Sirius' elegant dragon to a crisp.

A few studious minutes passed before Sirius let out another loud, bored, noisy sigh. On being ignored, he fidgeted restlessly, before picking up another handful of Every-Flavour Beans and picking at them, making appreciative or disgusted noises as appropriate.

"Cassie?" he whined, once the Beans were gone.

"What?" she said, still not looking at him.

"_Why_ are you going to a Slug Club party tonight? It would be much more fun to sneak up to the Astronomy tower in the Cloak and hex people who have gone up there to make out," he grinned evilly.

Cassie sighed, and put down her essay. Sirius grinned broadly, having finally won some attention from someone.

"I've said I'm going, so that's that. I've never had an actual invitation before, just gone along _with_ people. Lily's going, and so is Mary -"

"And me," Remus added, raising his quill briefly again.

"And me, too," added James, looking a bit guilty, "I've suddenly been bumped up to being a member now that I'm Head Boy."

Sirius stared, speechless, at his three friends, before bursting into cries again.

"BETRAYED! ABANDONED!"

"_I'm_ not going, Padfoot, so I'll be here -" chirped Peter.

"ABANDONED!" Sirius continued, putting his hands over his ears and squeezing his eyes shut.

"Oh, for goodness sake," grumbled Cassie, sitting up from her comfortable position on the couch to glare at Sirius, "I'm sure you can entertain yourself for one evening. Or you could come with us, if you're really that co-dependent."

"I'm pretty sure he'd bark all night, chew the furniture and pee everywhere if we left him alone, anyway, Sparks," Remus said dryly.

Haughtily ignoring Remus, Sirius deigned to reply to Cassie's offer.

"Your invitation has been graciously received, Miss Derehart, and Mr Black would be most honoured and take great pleasure in accepting the role as your escort for this evening," he drawled.

"Woah, I never said -" Cassie argued, but was interrupted by Lily arriving in the common room, whose disbelieving expression indicated how much she'd overheard.

"Cassie! You didn't ask Black? For goodness sake, after Jack's been angling all week to get you to go with him, drooling over you in Charms, you can't turn up with _Black_."

"Hi, Lily, lovely to see you too," Cassie retorted, whilst Sirius started grumbling about nosy, deluded reheads, "I take it we're getting ready at yours? I'll need to go and grab my stuff. Although why we have to start before we even have dinner remains a mystery to me, you know."

"That's because you're not very good at being a girl'" Lily pointed out, "But I'm serious! Be nice to him tonight."

"Who, Sirius?" Cassie was confused.

"No, _Jack_! Sirius isn't coming."

"I am, too," the dark haired boy argued, his face setting into that stubborn look that set the rest of the Marauders to groaning, "Sparks just asked me if I wanted to come!"

"I'm sure you'll survive a night without dragging her into some silly prank, Black," Lily brushed off his complaint, unaware of the looks the other Marauders were sending her way.

"Well, if Sparks won't take me, I'm going with Prongs," he retorted. James opened his mouth to object, but Sirius' gaze was sharp as cut glass, and he closed his mouth again with a snap and turned back to his translation.

"Oh, that's a better idea," Lily said, blithely. Cassie looked at her incredulously, before quickly escaping and making her way up to the girls' dorm.

Lily had no idea that she had effectively just ruined Slughorn's party. You didn't challenge Sirius Black and come away from it still clean. The boys all sent her frustrated looks, but Lily was oblivious to their meaning, and looked around at them crossly.

"What?"

* * *

><p>"I think I'm going to wear this," Cassie said, standing back from the ensemble she had laid out on Lily's bed. Lily, Marlene and Mary looked at it critically.<p>

"You really think black trousers, a white vest and a black cardigan is 'making an effort'?" Marlene asked, incredulously.

"It is a step up from her usual Quidditch jersey and holey jeans," Mary pointed out. Marlene pulled a face.

"We need to find you a nice dress -"

"No, way," Cassie put her foot down, "Dresses are definitely labelled under 'emergencies only', like winning the Quidditch Cup or the Magpies inviting me to an aftergame party or something really amazing. Not a sodding Slug Club party."

But, looking at Lily's pretty green velvet skirt and black blouse, and Mary's black skinny jeans and loose, silvery top, she did admit that she looked a little like a waitress.

"Ok, you can pick me something," she capitulated with a sigh, to Marlene and Lily's delight, "But I've got the right of veto to anything you pick."

Somehow, Cassie was sure the girls hadn't paid any attention to the last part.

After agreeing on an outfit for Cassie, complete with accessories that she believed totally unnecessary, the four girls headed down to the Great Hall for dinner.

"I sort of wish I was coming along, now…" Marlene mooned as the girls sat down at the Gryffindor table, "I could still come as one of your plus ones couldn't I?"

Lily gave her a stern look.

"Marlene, I've taken you to three different Slug Club parties, and every time you've moaned about the food, the music, the company, and how generally bored you are. I know fine well you won't enjoy it at all."

"You're just not a natural schmoozer," Mary said gently, patting Marlene's arm.

"But _Cassie_ acts like she's positively misanthropic at those sorts of do's," Marlene argued, a bit pathetically.

"But she got a direct invite," Lily pointed out, "So I can't stop her going. Plus, she can at least socialise with the Quidditch players in a semi-enthusiastic manner. You just complain."

Marlene sighed, but then tucked quite happily into the steak and ale pie, so it appeared no feelings were hurt.

"So I hear Charlie Dearborn is going to the Slug Club party tonight…" Mary brought up, her pretty face wearing a totally innocent expression. Marlene quickly caught on to her friend's casual hint, and ran with it.

"Oh, really?" Marlene said, looking at Lily, "Well, I'm sure there will be a certain someone who is very pleased about that."

Lily's cheeks coloured, but her expression remained straight.

"You two know fine well that there is nothing going on between myself and Charlie Dearborn."

"Apart from you two ending up in the fifth floor broom closet together at the end of last year?" Cassie asked with a wicked grin.

"I never told you that!" Lily hissed at her friend, to the delight of the other girls, "How on earth did you know?"

Cassie had had to physically wrestle the Marauder's Map from James whilst Peter and Sirius held him down, that's how. Remus had finally had to put him in a Full Body Bind for twenty minutes until he'd calmed down enough to accept that storming the broom closet would only result in Lily cursing him.

"Let's just say I know more about what goes on in Hogwarts than I could _ever_ try to explain," Cassie grinned. Mary and Marlene laughed; Lily looked disgruntled.

"You do realise I'll be frightfully upset if you go off with Dearborn and Cassie goes off with Mason and I get left with that unbearable Hufflepuff whose vowels run a mile long and doesn't understand what a telephone is," Mary said, smiling teasingly.

"Shut it, Mare, I'm not going off with anyone," Cassie said around a large forkful of her second helping of pie.

"Yes, Merlin forbid Cassie _ever_ has a romantic entanglement," said Marlene in a sarcastic tone.

Normally, this didn't faze Cassie at all. Marlene might think she was weird for still not being interested in boys in that way at seventeen, but she wasn't the type to be bothered by peer pressure - she was a Marauder, after all. As she often told the girls, completely genuinely, she was too in love with Quidditch to have room for boys. But today, something about Marlene's derisive attitude really bothered her. Despite her tomboy attitude, James and Remus' revelation on their first evening back made it clear that she obviously had more interest from boys than she'd realised. And in that knowledge, Marlene's comment made her a little bit cross. So, feeling frustrated, she said something very stupid.

"Merlin forbid I tell _you_ about them, anyway. Some people don't feel the need to flaunt their private lives for attention."

Lily, Mary and Marlene all turned round to stare at Cassie. Expressions looked shocked, jaws hung open, and eyebrows went as high as they could.

Cassie crossed her arms, defensively. Her friends, knowing they had pushed her too far, slowly turned back to their food, and began chatting about their plans for the first Hogsmeade weekend. But, over the course of dinner, Lily's eyes kept roaming back to Cassie, with a contemplative look in her bright green eyes.


	8. The Slug Club 'Welcome Back' Party

"Trust me: the Magpies have it in the bag again this season. I watched a friendly against the Harpies over the summer, and they just look so sleek and polished in comparison. It's gorgeous to watch," Cassie said with the weight of knowledge behind her. She stood near the refreshment table, a small crowd of Quidditch enthusiasts around her; Lydia Ross, her roommate, and her younger brother, David, both from the Gryffindor team, and Amos Diggory, the Hufflepuff Chaser were amongst them.

"They do look pretty good, but that new Seeker the Tornadoes are packing looks shit-hot. I reckon if he's good enough, he'll improve their chances no end," the tall, good looking Hufflepuff debated, a smile on his face. He wore black trousers and a navy dress shirt, which perfectly complemented his pale skin, bronze-coloured hair and warm, chocolate eyes.

"Who, Ecclestone?" Cassie scoffed, "Even I could outfly him!"

Diggory raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean, 'even you'? You're a pretty damn good Seeker yourself, Derehart. I imagine you'll be going pro next year."

"Oh, well," Cassie flushed, a bit flustered by the compliment, smoothing out the skirts of the dress her friends had managed to force her into, nervously, "It depends on the scouts, I guess, doesn't it."

"I'm sure they'll be all over you," he smiled.

"What about the World Cup? Who do you fancy for that?" she said, moving the topic away from herself. In her Quidditch robes she had no fear of talking about her Seeking skills, but in a royal blue lace dress that showed how slim her waist was, and her Quidditch-toned legs flattered by small heels, she felt utterly out of her depth.

During the resulting argument over the merits of the Irish versus the Brazilian teams, Cassie met Lily's eyes. Her pretty redheaded friend was standing with Mary and two Ravenclaws: Charlie Dearborn, and Jack Mason, from Cassie's Charms class. Lily looked quickly from Diggory to Cassie questioningly, and Cassie immediately thought of James' idiotic comment about Diggory that he'd made to annoy Sirius the other day. She coloured, and gave a small shake of her head, which prompted Lily to surreptitiously nod her head towards Jack. Cassie rolled her eyes at her friend, who smiled with amusement.

It was at that moment the Dearborn, a mousey-haired and friendly chap whom Cassie had no real knowledge of (he didn't play Quidditch, in her defense), raised a hand towards Lily, who took his with a soft smile. He led her out to the small dancefloor, beside which there was a string quartet charmed to play with no need for musicians. Dearborn flawlessly drew Lily into his arms, and led her into a dance.

"Derehart?" Cassie turned her attention back to the conversation, and noticed Diggory looking at her with an amused expression.

"You caught me," she said with a cheeky smile, "I wasn't listening at all. Would you mind saying that again?"

"I asked whether you were planning on going to the World Cup, and whether you had tickets or not. Only next summer, you know. But I think someone else had your attention?"

Cassie coloured. How did she not sound like she was creepily watching Lily dancing with Dearborn…

"I just noticed my friend Mary over there, with Jack Mason," she said, quickly, "He's in my Charms class. I didn't know they knew each other."

"Mason? The one in Ravenclaw?" asked Diggory, looking past her.

Cassie was wishing she had just left it, now.

"Yeah, the blonde guy?"

"Oh, he's alright," Diggory said with an approving nod, "You won't have to worry about her, anyway."

Cassie was bemused.

"What -"

At that moment, a wave of groans washed around the room, starting from the door where Slughorn was welcoming guests. Cassie looked up, and almost groaned herself.

There stood the Marauders. They had certainly dressed up: they all wore white dress shirts and trousers, and whilst Remus wore his with a brown tweed jacket and a red tie, Sirius and James both wore waistcoats (Sirius' a plum velvet with a matching velvet bow tie, and James' a green and blue tartan with his Head Boy badge on display, with a black skinny tie), and Peter had partnered his shirt only with an unfortunate canary yellow tie, patterned with red broomsticks. However, despite their smart clothes, Sirius looked like trouble - whilst he appeared to be smiling, and ready to charm, Cassie could see the tightness in his jaw and across his eyes that said he was in a typical Sirius bad mood. And, to make matters worse, James had _that look_ on his face.

Something was going to explode.

"Why, I hadn't expected to see all of you here, gentlemen!" greeted a slightly flabbergasted Slughorn. The fact that Sirius and Peter hadn't been invited would, on a normal occasion, have meant that none of the Marauders (bar maybe Remus) would have attended. She saw Slughorn look around quickly, his gaze meeting hers, and a look of tightly controlled dread came into his usually merry eyes. Where all five Marauders went, especially when there was free mead, trouble would soon follow.

"I couldn't possibly have refused, Professor," James stepped in smoothly, smiling his most winning smile at the Potions master, "After all, surely as Head Boy, there are so many people I should meet…"

"Why, yes," Slughorn rallied, "In fact, if you'll come with me, I think you really have to meet…"

The professor drew James from the group, getting once more into his stride, casting only one solitary look of distrust back towards Sirius.

The remaining Marauders took James' sacrifice, and made good use of it. Sirius immediately found the largest group of girls present and turned on the charm, inciting some incredible eyelash fluttering. Peter tagged along behind him, the girls resolutely ignoring him, and Sirius deigning only to use him as an arm rest. Remus spotted Cassie, and gave her an apologetic wave, before making his way over to where Mary and Jack stood chatting.

"So, when do you think things will start exploding?" questioned Diggory. Cassie almost started - she'd entirely forgotten about him.

"Well," she said, recovering quickly, and shooting a faux innocent smile at him, "On my word as a Marauder, I don't know _what_ you might be referring to…"

He laughed, and she noted the attractive way his warm brown eyes creased with mirth.

"You really are a character, huh, Derehart?"

"I am indeed," Cassie agreed with a smug little smile, "But _you_ can call me 'Cassie'."

She saw Diggory's eyes lift to something behind her right shoulder seconds before a hand touched her there, gently.

"Sorry to interrupt," said a familiar warm voice, and Cassie turned to look into the blue eyes of Jack Mason, "But there's a rather excellent charmed quartet, and Cassie here is wearing heels. These two things need to be combined for immediate comedy value."

Cassie swatted him with her hand.

"I'll have you know I haven't tripped since I made it out of Lily's portrait hole, actually."

"Well, we'll have to see what we can do about that, eh? Sorry, Diggory, you can fight me for her later," Jack nodded to the other boy with a smile. Diggory let out an exaggerated sigh, but didn't seem too perturbed.

"Well," said Jack, as he took Cassie's right hand in his, and placed his left in the small of her back, "fancy meeting you here."

"Indeed," agreed Cassie, with a wry smile, "asking me, _twice_, if I was coming surely didn't give anything away."

"Well, you never know," Jack grinned, "So, what was Amos chatting to you about? Looked intriguing."

"Quidditch."

"Oh," he said in exaggerated realisation, "Of course. I should have known."

"Quidditch," Cassie said, slightly defensively, "happens to be not only an excellent sport, but an excellent topic of conversation. Unlike politics, or religion, it's never significantly offensive, and yet is far more interesting that the weather."

"Touche," admitted the blonde boy, with a laugh, "Although I'm sure the Gryffindor Seeker and a Hufflepuff Chaser could turn the otherwise innocuous topic into a full scale war if they so desired."

"Good thing we didn't desire too, then, I'd say."

"I'd say, indeed," the Ravenclaw said with an arched brow.

It was then that Cassie realised she was rather out of her depth. She'd feel more comfortable facing a rogue Bludger than she did at that moment, in a dress and heels, in the arms of a boy. Her witty banter was only going to protect her so far, she realised, before it could be interpreted as something more.

She found herself feeling a little uncomfortable; a little unsure; very aware of the location of his hands. The Jack that she felt easy and safe with had gone.

She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed when the punch bowl exploded. Lydia Ross and her brother, amongst the other still chatting near the refreshments, were sprayed with punch, and a chorus of squeals and complaints broke out.

"Well, that was amateur," Cassie assessed, "They could have exploded the cake and made much more mess, plus been able to spike the punch with acne potion or something."

Suddenly, more screams began as various of Slughorn's guests began to break out in horrible green boils. Cassie raised an eyebrow, assessing the food and drink in the hands of each newly be-boiled victim.

"Ah, the treacle tart," she surmised, "Not bad, actually. Now, if only they've done something to the…"

Suddenly, the second violin began beating the nearest dancing couple around the head, making a horrible twanging noise as it did so. The cello dropped its bow, and hopped menacingly towards the dancefloor.

"String quartet?" asked Jack, his expression a mixture of disbelief and frank appraisal of his dance partner.

"I think now is my cue," said Cassie, who shot an apologetic expression to the Ravenclaw, before striding (as best possible in those blasted heels) towards Lily, who clung to her dance partner in confusion at the scene around her.

"Lily," she said, grabbing her friend's arm, "You need to move."

Lily looked blankly at her, before looking back to her partner's expression of fury.

"Like, now," Cassie pressed, looking up towards the chandelier.

At that moment, Cassie felt a hand on her upper arm. She was tugged, hard, away from Lily, just as she watched James pull her friend in the opposite direction. She looked up to see Sirius' face above her, his grey eyes intent on the chandelier.

"And, go," he whispered, and Cassie watched as a swarm of Doxies unveiled themselves, taking flight from the chandelier.

At that point, mayhem ensued. The Doxies were throwing food, tugging on ears, pulling up skirts and biting at ankles. Boil-covered guests were shrieking, and people were slipping on the spilled punch in their haste to escape the violent string quartet. Cassie couldn't hear over the panicked din, but she could certainly feel Sirius laughing next to her.

"Slughorn sure knows how to throw a party, eh?" she asked, defeatedly.

"With a little help," Sirius laughed.

Cassie sighed. She had so been looking forward to meeting the sports writer for the _Prophet_, too.

"Better make sure Lily isn't killing James right now," she said, pulling away from Sirius and heading towards her red-headed friend, who seemed to be giving James more of an earful than the Doxies could have.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, "Make sure to get her out of here before the Doxies spot her hair, or she really will flip."

Cassie looked at the tall, dark-haired boy in his plum-coloured waistcoat, smiling contentedly in the midst of all the noise and chaos.

"Alright, Padfoot. Mischief managed."

* * *

><p>Lily was in tears on her bed. She was in her pyjamas, fresh out of the shower (Lily, Mary and Cassie had all required showers after the excitement of Slughorn's party), and really rather upset.<p>

"I can't _believe_ he would do this! He's supposed to be Head Boy; he's supposed to be past this!" Lily cried. Smashing a fist angrily into her pillow.

Marlene and Mary exchanged nervous glances.

"You do realise it was Padfoot, right Lils? Prongs had nothing to do with it," Cassie pointed out as she towel-dried her mad curls.

"But he should have _stopped_ him, or banned him from coming, or done _something_ -"

"What on earth did you expect him to do? We all know that Padfoot is a moody force of nature - Prongs couldn't have stopped him causing mayhem. Moony couldn't stop them as a prefect - why do you think Prongs would have any more control over Padfoot as Head Boy?"

"He should have known better."

"Who, Padfoot?"

A memory of a moonlit night, and a dark haired, sallow-skinned boy entering a tunnel from which there was no escape flickered before Cassie's eyes. Of James pulling him from the tunnel, and going back to hold off a raging werewolf in his Animagus form whilst Cassie ran blindly through the corridors of Hogwarts seeking the Headmaster. She shuddered. Sirius had learned where the line was drawn, and he'd learned it the hard way. He'd not only had the wrath of Dumbledore, and all of the Marauders, but he'd been beyond angry with himself.

"No, James. He should have known -"

"Oh, give it a rest, Lily. I know you don't like him - the whole castle knows you don't like him! - but this wasn't Prongs' fault. You shouldn't have riled up Padfoot."

Lily looked outraged.

"I never -"

"I tell you what though," Marlene interrupted, with a bit of a regretful sigh, "it _is_ bloody typical that the time I decide the Slug Club is too boring to bother attending, it ends up the most exciting Slug Club party in history."


	9. Tricks and Tryouts

**A/N: I'll keep this brief, because I hate author notes, but this had to be said: thanks for the reviews, guys! It's great to hear that people enjoy the fic. I really love Cassie as a character - I had to find someone that would fit in with the Marauders, which is tricky because they have such a great dynamic as a foursome, but I hope Cassie does that. Yes, I've portrayed Sirius as quite moody - I personally think his impulsiveness and bad temper is pretty key, and we see a lot of that remaining in him as an adult in canon, but more of his charming and fun side will be shown, don't worry :).**

* * *

><p>"Could you pass me the mortar and pestle, Cass?" Lily asked.<p>

Cassie looked up from the piece of parchment in front of her which had held all of her attention. Lily's green gaze caught a doodled hangman's noose, with a part drawn man attached to it, and a variety of letters scrawled across the page. As she watched, the man seemed to grow another leg, and flailed around unhappily on the end of the rope. Cassie, looking back, cursed softly, and shot a dark look across the dungeon classroom towards a very smug Sirius.

"Are you playing hangman?" Lily asked incredulously.

Cassie's expression was cautious as she looked up at her friend.

"Maybe."

Rather than being annoyed, Lily looked curious.

"How did you pass the parchment? I didn't see you."

Cassie hesitated. In that moment, a scrawled note appeared across the parchment.

_So. Best of nine? Or do you accept my expertise at Hangman and admit defeat?_

Her expression turned guilty. Lily looked quickly to Sirius across the room, his quill in hand, and her eyes lit up.

"Oh, wow! Did you buy this, or charm it yourself, Cass?" Lily asked, well aware of Cassie's talent for charming objects after the smaller girl charmed Lily's hairbrush to remove frizz for her birthday the previous year. Lily's hair had never looked so great without her entire potion ingredients fund going towards hair potion.

"I charmed it," she admitted, pulling at a stray curl abstractly, "but it was Padfoot's idea. The best ones often are: he's some kind of evil genius."

Lily laughed; the description of Sirius Black was pretty apt.

"But this means he won't keep coming over here during Potions - I know how much he annoys you when he gets bored during a particularly fiddly stage."

"He doesn't annoy me," Lily disagreed as she started grinding ingredients, "Not anymore. He used to: back in fourth and fifth year he made me just as cross as Potter did. They were both such _bullies_, and when they made jokes it was so often at other people's expense. But last year that sort of calmed down, and to be honest Sirius is actually pretty funny, especially when the two of you start bickering. I still can't _condone_ him coming over here to distract you during class - I was a prefect, and now Head Girl, after all - but it doesn't mean it annoys me."

Cassie looked shell shocked. She raised her hands, fingers splayed, in front of her and looked at Lily with wide eyes.

"Woah. _Woah_. Hang on there, Lils. I'm not sure what to try and process first, here: you admitting that you find Sirius Black, best mate of one James Potter whom you've vowed to be irritated by for all eternity, and Marauder extraordinaire, _funny_; or the fact that you've just essentially called some of the best pranks in our back catalog bullying!"

How Lily reacted to Cassie's outbursts often depended on her mood. When in a bad one, particularly after an altercation with James, she would often snap or become argumentative. Thankfully, on this particular afternoon, Lily was in a rather excellent mood - possibly due to the commendation she'd received in Charms that day from Flitwick on the watch she had charmed into giving the wearer directions - and therefore she laughed.

"We've all grown up to some degree or another," she said with a grin as she added the ground ingredients to the shimmering silver liquid in their cauldron, which was giving off soft lilac fumes, "I can now admit that the Marauders are quite entertaining without feeling like I'm betraying myself, and you lot aren't quite as vindictive as you used to be. I mean, come on: Alissa Grunbaum's hair in fourth year; Percy Parkinson's stool in Potions in fifth year; the mirror in the girls' bathroom in third year, and the exploding toilet in the same bathroom in fifth year; charming any unattended copy of _The Standard Book of Spells Grade 1_ that you could possibly find during fourth year to bite anyone who tried to open it; convincing the house elves that Slytherins are allergic to sugar and need salt instead in their food in fifth year; freeing all the animals in the new third year Care of Magical Creatures class at the very start of sixth year; sending a notice round all the common rooms in fourth year requiring a volunteer from each house for each year to be fed to the Threstrals; casting _Levicorpus_ or a bag-splitting hex on any unsuspecting lower year student who passed by when a corridor was busy but free of prefects or teachers -"

Cassie quickly interrupted her friend.

"Alright. Ok. So we've probably been a bit mean sometimes. But we've never made anyone cry. Apart from Professor Archer, I guess, who did pretty much cry when I told him that I wasn't actually an accomplished Seer, and that we were just freaking out the first years."

She had been able to 'predict' two first years arriving through the portrait hole into Gryffindor common room (thanks to the Map), and then 'predicted' another first year's death right before Sirius, in Animagus form, cantered across Hogwarts lawn. The first year in question had been terrified, and sought Professor Archer the Divination teacher's advice. Archer had been more disappointed that Cassie was not in fact a Seer than he had been angry about their prank.

Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Ok," Cassie admitted, "But it was still pretty funny."

"You're all a lot more funny when you're playing pranks on one another, or charming statues to throw Bertie Bott's Beans at people, or getting into your silly arguments than you are when you're embarrassing other people, though. That's why I've always been so grumpy with you whenever you got involved in those sorts of pranks," Lily said serenely as she added the final ingredient to their potion. She gave a pleased sigh, and set her timer to allow the potion to simmer.

"Anyway, never mind that - let me see your parchment."

Lily swiped the parchment from the desk in front of Cassie. She wiped a hand over it, her eyes widening as the writing disappeared. She picked up her quill, dipped it in ink, and began writing.

_Hello, Sirius_.

"Very original," Cassie snarked, still smarting over her friends' comments.

Suddenly, letters bloomed below Lily's neat handwriting.

_Why good afternoon, Miss Evans. What brings you to interrupt my savage destruction of Princess Sparkles via the medium of Hangman?_

Lily looked up at Cassie.

"What should I say?"

"How about that he shouldn't bully people?"

"It's not bullying when it's you," Lily pointed out, raising her quill again.

"Not when - ! Oh for goodness' sake, I can't win here," Cassie grumbled.

"Stop sulking and entertain me," Lily demanded, but her lips quirked into an amused smile, and despite her eye rolling, Cassie couldn't help but smile back.

"Try this."

_I didn't realise you trusted Wormtail so much_.

They watched Sirius look up sharply at his mousey-haired partner, who was concentrating feverishly on his scales as he measured out lacewing flies. Seeing nothing amiss, he returned to the parchment, his eyebrows scrunched together in a frown.

_And what am I supposedly trusting him with?_

"Well, his potion is more bronze than gold, but otherwise it doesn't look like it's going to be horrific," Lily said, and Cassie rolled her eyes at her Potions-genius friend.

"Yes, but _he_ doesn't know that," she said with an evil smirk.

_That potion is going to do awful things to your hair. I'd have done a little more of the work yourself, you know._

Both girls struggled to rein in giggles as Sirius sat up sharply, edging his stool away from the bubbling potion. They couldn't hear the angry exchange between the two boys, but they saw Peter's crestfallen expression and Sirius' look of desperation, and they could guess.

"And, for the _piece de resistance_," Cassie added, lifting her wand and aiming it surreptitiously at Sirius from under the desk. She muttered an incantation, and very briefly Sirius' quill flashed silver.

"What did you do to his quill?" Lily asked, looking confused, "Surely you should have transfigured his hair?"

"Lily," Cassie said in a patronising tone, " How long have we been friends? Haven't you noticed that Transfiguration is not my strong suit? I would be more likely to turn him into a slug than transfigure his hair. This is much better."

Both girls looked to Sirius, who had lifted his quill again and began writing. Cassie heard Lily gasp as the charm began to take effect, and had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. As Sirius wrote, the quill was leaching colour from his hair, turning from snowy white to pale grey to murky grey to black. When he looked towards the girls, waiting for their reply, his precious hair was as white as Dumbledore's beard.

_There's nothing wrong with the potion. I'm actually a very good supervisor - and it's only slightly bronze rather than gold, so it isn't that far out. You can't prank the master prankster that easily, ladies._

Lily picked up the quill and penned a quick reply, strangled laughter threatening to burst past her tightly closed lips.

_As the resident potions expert, I beg to differ._

Cassie added a postscript.

_Check your mirror._

"He carries a mirror?" Lily asked incredulously.

"This is Padfoot," Cassie pointed out.

As he whipped a small mirror out of his pocket and looked at his reflection, the colour seemed to drain from Sirius' face, too. A hand went slowly to his locks, touching them gingerly, and a breathless squeak emerged. Then his storm-grey eyes went to Cassie, and narrowed. She didn't even have time to reach for her wand before she found herself falling, and her bottom impacting hard on the dungeon floor. Her stool had disappeared.

_This is war._

Slughorn cleared his throat, looking from Sirius, whose quill seemed to be fading to white and leeching colour back into his hair once more, and the pile on the floor that was Cassie, and seemed for a moment like he would speak. However he clearly remembered that he was still not on speaking terms with the Marauders, and simply barked "Detention!" before returning to his pile of marking.

* * *

><p>The next few days proved awkward. Cassie found her porridge turned to vomit in her bowl; her face wash turned to drain cleaner; her copy of <em>The Standard Book of Spells Grade 7<em> charmed to give her an electric shock every time she touched it; every chair she sat in broke; all of her quills disappeared; all of her inkwells leaked; and the fire in the common room tended to throw sparks at her.

The morning of the Quidditch trials, she sat down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast with James, Peter and Remus, a scowl on her face.

"And then this morning he's somehow managed to Vanish one out of every pair of socks I own, and put a hole in the toe of every one still left," she complained.

James and Remus shared a look.

"The hair, Sparks," said James, stuffing a piece of toast in his mouth and spreading his arms wide in a gesture of finality.

"Yeah, messing with the hair was stupid," Remus agreed as he poured a spoonful of honey over his porridge.

Peter looked to Cassie with a worshipful expression on his soft-edged face.

"I think you were really brave, Cassie. No one else would have dared hex Padfoot's hair," he said in a slightly awed voice.

"Yeah, because no one else is that _stupid_," James pointed out, gesturing with a crumpet.

"Good morning, boys!"

Sirius slid onto the bench beside Cassie, swiping a slice of French toast. Cassie looked at him suspiciously.

"What are you planning?" she asked him, her eyes narrowed.

"Nothing at all, my dearest Princess Sparkles," he said with a broad grin, "I wouldn't ever pull a prank when _Quidditch_ is involved. We all know how important _Quidditch_ is to you. I wouldn't ever put that in jeopardy."

Cassie's jaw dropped, and she spun in her seat towards James.

"Prongs! Don't let him ruin tryouts! Tryouts are way beyond a stupid prank!" she exclaimed, real panic in her voice as she feared for her beloved team.

James looked horrifically torn, his eyes flicking between Sirius and Cassie like a painting in a Muggle haunted house. Sirius looked smug, as he casually ate his breakfast.

"You've got marmite on your face, by the way, Princess," he pointed out to a nauseous looking Cassie.

"That hair," Remus said in neutral tone, as though analysing an experiment result, "is going to be the end of our Quidditch Cup dreams."

"Why I'm friends with any of you is really beyond me," sighed James, with his head in his hands.

Peter looked rather put out.

* * *

><p>"Why are you so nervous? You're already on the team!" Lily asked, pulling her jacket tighter around herself. Lily, Mary and Marlene had all turned out to support Cassie at tryouts, as they did every year, but as always were baffled at how worked up she seemed.<p>

"It's so important to get the right players! The whole year's result relies on today!" Cassie explained, shivering both with nervous energy and with the cold wind, "And now _Black_ has threatened it…"

Marlene tutted.

"He won't actually do anything, Cass. If he did, it would absolutely light the touch paper. He's gotten away with hitting you so hard on the prank front this week because he has the sympathy vote, but if he ruined Gryffindor's tryouts he would be sent to Coventry so fast his head would spin. And Mr Popular wouldn't like that," she said confidently.

"Stupid arrogant dog-breath," Cassie muttered.

"Come on, Cassie, pull yourself together - Potter needs your support today," Lily said, trying to infuse Cassie with some enthusiasm. Cassie just raised a eyebrow at her red-headed friend.

"Potter needs my support, eh? When did you ever care about Potter needing support?"

Three pairs of eyes locked on Lily as a delicate blush tinted her cheeks.

"Oh, he's just been going on and on about it during patrol - stress obviously turns him into Radio Potter and transmits his every blooming thought…"

"You're no Keeper you know, Lily," Cassie laughed.

"What?" Lily looked confused.

"As in, poor attempt at a save."

Mary and Marlene laughed, and Marlene linked her arms through red-faced Lily's.

"Come on, lobster, lets go and find a seat in the stands where we can help 'support' Potter from a distance," she laughed.

"You're meant to be supporting _me_, remember!" Cassie complained, jokingly.

"We are," Mary said indulgently, patting Cassie's arm affectionately, "but we're supporting Lily's Head Boy stalking project too."

"For goodness sake, I _have_ to patrol with him! And I have no say in my living arrangements!" Lily protested, but she was shushed as the other two Gryffindor girls led her away from the girls' changing rooms.

Cassie smiled to herself as she made her own way out onto the pitch. It looked like it would be easier to foster a friendship between Lily and James than she had thought. Lily wasn't quite as disgusted by the boys and their pranks as she had always claimed, and seeing James regularly away from the immaturity-inducing effect of Sirius' company would show her a different side to him.

Cassie was the first of the Gryffindor players out onto the pitch other than their Captain, James. That was probably why she saw what she did: he didn't think anyone else was there.

James Potter was sitting slumped on the bench beside the pitch his head in his hands. He raised his head, and in the fraction of a second before he collected himself, she saw something she had never seen on his handsome face before. A horrible aching despair, combined with terrible loneliness.

She walked up to him, slowly, and took a seat on the bench next to him.

"You know, if you need a hand with stuff, Quidditch stuff, I mean, I'm here, right? I know you have a lot on your plate."

He was silent for a long moment, looking out across the pitch.

"I know. I mean, I'm managing, so far. Being busy is good. Means I don't think too much."

"Your dad?"

"Yeah," he said softly.

They didn't speak, letting the silence sit between them for a few minutes.

"You know he was an Auror?"

Cassie nodded.

"I've decided I should maybe try to be one, too. Partly for him, but partly because… well, it wouldn't do any harm the way things are."

"Did you see this morning's Prophet?" Cassie asked, and at the shake of James' head she continued, "Three Muggleborn wizards hiding out near Inveraray. Surrounded by Death Eaters. Blew up half the mountainside - ten people dead, including Muggles who were driving that twisty hill road when the rock came down."

"Something's got to give, doesn't it?"

Cassie nodded, and they sat in contemplative silence until the rest of the team emerged from the changing rooms.

Quite a lot of people turned up to the tryouts: more than half of those were spectators, or friends of the triallists sitting up in the stands, and a few more were Hufflepuffs whom James had to let down gently, but there were still plenty of candidates.

Amongst them stood one Sirius Black.

Cassie was seething silently in her spot on the bench between James and Lydia Ross. She couldn't believe he was here. She wished she had never charmed his stupid quill - none of it was worth him ruining Quidditch. Not only was this year her final chance to be scouted for a chance to go pro, but it was her final year playing for Gryffindor; her house; her team. She honestly wasn't sure she'd be able to speak to him again. Why did he always take things too far?

Sirius was a good enough player. But he had always been adamant he would never play for the team. There was simply _no way_ this wasn't a joke. And what annoyed Cassie even more was the look on his face as he milled around with the other triallists: he looked genuine; relaxed; happy. How dare he!

Cassie continued to brew her bad mood all throughout the Keeper tryouts. They finally went with Geoff Bennet, a third year whose elder brother, Isaac, in fifth year, was the third Gryffindor Chaser - Keeping for his brother during the summers was probably the reason for his talent. Between the Bennets and the Rosses, Gryffindor Quidditch did seem to be becoming quite a family affair…

Her mood only darkened as it became glaringly obvious that all of the candidates for Beater could barely fly and swing a bat at the same time. There really wasn't a single triallist whom the notoriously strict captain James would even consider. Apart from the one at the end with the long, black hair, storm-grey eyes and arms crossed in a haphazard fashion across his chest as he considered the other candidates.

"I think it's fairly obvious we have to choose Sirius," James said to the rest of the team after the last student was back on the ground, "I don't really want to, but we have to."

"Don't want to?" Cassie mocked, "Why, because he's maybe out to prank us?"

James turned on her, his hazel eyes flashing.

"Derehart, shut your trap. Personal squabbles stay off the pitch. I didn't want him because he's a seventh year - if he makes the team he will be held to the same standards as the rest of you. Now go hit the changing rooms, Derehart - I don't need any more of your opinions."

She rolled her eyes, but moved to obey nonetheless. She should have known better: James might let Sirius away with murder (and nine times out of ten be his accomplice) when off the pitch, but Quidditch was as important to him as it was to Cassie. He wouldn't let Sirius mess this up. Cassie felt a smile flicker across her face. In fact, James would make Sirius regret ever having tried to prank them over Quidditch - he'd make him actually buck up and train properly for the team.

The rest of the team, including the new players, were still milling around the benches once Cassie emerged from the changing rooms. She stopped, looking over at them, unsure if she could hold herself together and not end up in a fight with Sirius.

"Not bad, Derehart. Looks like playing Gryffindor might be quite fun this year."

Cassie whipped around, her dark eyes meeting the hazel ones of a particular Hufflepuff Chaser.

"Here to check out the competition, Diggory?" she challenged the smiling boy.

"Something like that," he said with a quirk of his eyebrow and a grin that made Cassie feel a little flushed. His eyes were appraising, and she found herself biting uncomfortably at her lower lip.

"You know," he said, slowly, and in a deeper voice than before, "I always go after the things that I want. I am a Chaser, after all."

Cassie didn't know where the words that tumbled out of her mouth came from, but she thanked her lucky stars that they made sense.

"Chasers play fast, Diggory. Us Seekers don't. We're in it for the long game."

He smiled broadly.

"Well maybe you'd be surprised. Maybe I'm also a pretty good Keeper."

Cassie was at a loss for words as she looked up into Amos' handsome face, but thankfully someone else had more words than she did.

"That was absolutely awful, Diggory. I hope you play Quidditch better than you chat up girls or this season will be frightfully dull," came the greatly amused voice of James Potter. Cassie turned to see James and a slightly shocked looking Sirius standing behind her.

"I'm doing better than you, Potter. How many times has Evans turned you down, now? So if that's how we're measuring Quidditch skills, then that Cup will have our names on it this year," Amos shot back.

"Oh, really?" Cassie said in a low, even tone as she crossed her arms over her chest. Amos' confident expression wavered, and she heard James' suppressed chortle. "I think you've taken one too many Bludgers to the head."

Sirius stepped forward, throwing an arm across her shoulders.

"This is Gryffindor pitch time, Diggory. We'll see you on match day, yeah?" he said with a very pleased expression.

Cassie grumpily shrugged his arm away.

"Get lost, Bludger Boy, or I'll beat you with your own bat."

Amos laughed, and Sirius looked irritated.

"See you around, Derehart," Amos said with a grin, before turning and making his way back up towards the castle.

"Is it just me," Sirius said to James as the three Marauders began to stroll back casually themselves, "Or is that bloke a bit of a git?"

"He's alright," James said with a knowing smile, "He's a pretty good guy. To be fair: you can't fault his taste."

Sirius' jaw dropped, and Cassie looked up at James sharply.

"Of course you can fault his taste: he supports the bloody Tornadoes!"

James and Sirius looked at each other for a long moment, then burst into laughter.


	10. Lots of Hexing

Lily had Cassie by the shoulders, and marched her from the Gryffindor Common Room towards the Heads' study. She gave Cassie no indication as to why she was being kidnapped, although from the irritated looks she and James had been giving her and Sirius all day as the pair had snarked at each other, she had a feeling it was most likely an intervention.

Her gut feeling was proved right when her friend forced her through the portrait hole, and she spotted James standing in front of Sirius, who was slouched on the squishy couch. Cassie let out a long-suffering sigh.

"Enough of that, young lady," Lily said primly, sitting the smaller girl down forcefully beside Sirius. Cassie didn't turn to look at him, instead crossing her arms defensively.

"Now," Lily began, "Potter and I have had a little chat -"

"Oh, have you now?" Sirius said with a leer. Lily ignored him, breezily.

"And we have decided enough is enough. I hate feeling on edge all of the time waiting on another explosion, literal or figurative, and Potter hates being stuck between two of his best friends. So we're going to hash this out."

It really was a intervention. Cassie groaned.

"So," James took over, his smile so practiced at innocence that Cassie knew he was enjoying this, "Sparks: you need to get over Sirius making the team, and stop expecting him to sabotage us. Not only has Sirius promised he won't and that he is genuine about Quidditch, but I most definitely wouldn't let him."

Cassie's jaw dropped. Since when was this her fault?

"And Sirius," Lily joined in to counterbalance, "You need to end the retribution for the hair trick. Yes, your hair is precious to you, but it was only temporary, unlike many of the bullying pranks you lot have pulled in the past, and you've paid Cassie back ten times already. That way she won't get so defensive about Quidditch. So, truce?"

James threw a sideways glance at Lily.

"Bullying? We're not bullies. How on earth did you get that impression?"

"Maybe from all the bullying you've done?" Lily said airily, "Anyway, that's not the point -"

"Yes it is," James retorted, "You obviously don't understand the meaning of 'a bit of fun' -"

"I most certainly -" Lily's voice rose in pitch and volume as she argued back.

The pretty red-head and the tall, messy-haired boy turned away from their friends and towards each other, spitting insults. Cassie turned to Sirius, one eyebrow raised.

"I think that was a record length cooperation attempt there from Prongs and Lils, huh?"

Sirius' face split in an amused grin.

"But they'll probably be at it a while, now. Fancy going and getting some chocolate eclairs from the kitchen?"

Cassie pondered a moment.

"How about a trip to Honeydukes? I've run out of Chocolate Cauldrons, and you know I can't handle homework without a decent supply of chocolate."

"Homework?" Sirius said incredulously, "Now I know we've definitely been fighting too long. No homework for you, missy - the Gobstones Club lets out in twenty minutes, lets go and cause some chaos."

Cassie couldn't quash the smile that spread across her face.

"Alright, Padfoot. Let's go."

The pair rose from the couch, their arguing friends so wrapped up in each other that they didn't seem to notice. They climbed out of the portrait hole, and sauntered along the corridor.

"So, do you have the Map? Where's the Gobstones Club meeting?"

Sirius pulled the blank parchment from his robes, and drew his wand.

"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," he said with brevity, and the blank parchment suddenly blossomed with ink. Cassie peered over his arm at it, noting the dots labelled 'Lily Evans' and 'James Potter' were still side-by-side in the Head's study.

"They really are something," Cassie admitted.

"It's all the unresolved sexual tension," Sirius said, with a bark of laughter.

Cassie's gaze lingered on their friends' dots before looking up at Sirius.

"They were right, though? That you promise you're not going to mess up Quidditch this year?"

Sirius' smile melted into a scowl.

"Look, I'm being serious here. If you promise me that you're being genuine, I'll believe you. But I also promise that if you do cost us the Cup then I won't ever forgive you."

Sirius was silent a moment, his grey eyes brooding.

"I do promise. I thought it would be a fun thing to do this year, the three of us. Plus after all the pranks it would freak you out. But I'll be honest, it's been a bit of an eye-opener: I know you love Quidditch, we all know that, but I didn't really realise how serious you are about it."

She could have easily made a joke, lightened the tone, passed it off as part of the running gag of her love of Quidditch. But Sirius was being serious for once, so she did him the courtesy of being serious, too.

"It's my life, Pads. You guys, my friends, and Quidditch: that's what's important to me. And this is it - it's seventh year, my last chance to win the Cup and impress the scouts for the Magpies. It's a big deal. And whilst pranks and fun and joking are great, I just can't have a bit of fun mess with Quidditch."

He looked at her for a long moment.

"Ok," he said, gently, before pointing back at the Map, "Looks like the Gobstones club are in the classroom opposite that statue of Millicent the Hairy. We going in solo or will we call for backup?"

Cassie felt lighter than she had in days. Clearing the air felt good.

"We've got time - let's go grab Moony and Wormtail. More Marauders means more mayhem."

* * *

><p>Peter stood at the end of the corridor, the Map in his hand. Remus, Sirius and Cassie were crouched behind the statue of Millicent the Hair, watching the door to the classroom.<p>

"I can't believe I let you drag me into this. I'm a _prefect_," sighed Remus, his green eyes on the ceiling.

"So am I," Cassie pointed out, "And Prongs is _Head Boy_."

"Well, Prongs isn't here, and _you_ are a sociopath," he retorted, "And _I_ have that Defence essay due Monday…"

"I haven't done it yet, either. We can do it when we go back. Keep the weekend free."

"NO!" hissed Sirius, his eyes flashing as he turned to his comrades, "No discussion of homework is permitted when undertaking acts of mischief!"

Remus and Cassie shared an amused glance.

"Right," Sirius moved on, composing himself once again, "Plan is as follows: Moony, since you don't want to be waist deep in our prank, you can take this bag of dungbombs to the other end of the corridor. Set them off when I give you the signal through the mirror."

Sirius handed Remus one of the pair of mirrors that he and James shared. Remus raised an eyebrow.

"How did you convince him to give you this?"

"Didn't, did I? I just nicked it," Sirius said proudly.

"Oooh, you didn't manage to get the Cloak, too, did you?" Cassie perked up. She did love James' Invisibility Cloak. As the smallest and slightest of the gang, she was the only one who didn't have to fear her ankles showing when she ran in it, and hence tended to take the invisible role in their pranks these days.

"Nah," Sirius said, only mildly disappointed, "Not as easy to filch that, unfortunately. It's an actual family treasure, or something."

"Fair," she said.

"Right then, Moony - you go and get into position. Sparks and I will hide on either side of the corridor further up, and when the dungbombs herd them in our direction, we'll hex them."

"What hexes are we going for? Standard Jelly Legs Jinx, Bat Bogey Hex, Knee Reversal Hex, Twitchy-Ears Hex -"

"I was thinking," Sirius interrupted with a devious grin, "That since Prongs isn't here, we cast his signature hex for him."

Cassie grinned back, and Remus hung his head in defeat. Everyone would know who had hexed the Gobstones Club immediately. There went his so far detention-free week.

"Perfect."

* * *

><p>The members of the Gobstones Club were a variety of years and Houses, but with a particularly high proportion of second year Hufflepuffs. This meant that the majority of the club, on leaving the classroom with laughs and farewells, turned along the corridor towards where Sirius and Cassie lay in wait. The first wave was on its way.<p>

It didn't take long for the members who had set off in the opposite direction to loop back, complaining loudly about the strong smell further down the corridor. The entire group, strung out in twos and threes, then made its way along the corridor towards the Marauders, who lay in wait.

Suddenly, the first line of students froze. The second line of students quickly followed, and a sudden roadblock formed in the corridor. Suddenly, screams and shouts began - antlers were erupting from students' heads, and others were tipping over, unable to move.

"_Anteoculatia_!" Sirius cried again, aiming another hex at a third year Hufflepuff who already seemed to be in tears.

"_Impedimenta_!" Cassie said forcefully, freezing students into antlered statues, before switching to, "_Petrificus_ _Totalus_!"

Suddenly, Pettigrew was at their backs.

"We need to go, Filch is on his way!"

"Go find Moony, meet you in the common room," Cassie directed him, and she turned to Sirius.

"Time to wrap this up?"

Sirius aimed his wand down the corridor, and said: "_Fumos_!"

Smoke filled the air, setting students to coughing, and gave Sirius and Cassie a shield behind which to slip into the disused classroom further down the corridor. They made their way straight to the bookcase at the back of the room, where, with a quick "_Turbulare_," the bookcase swung open, leading to a passage behind it.

Filch's howls could be heard ringing through the castle as the troublemakers made their way back to the common room.

* * *

><p>"That was ridiculous. Not only was it the <em>Gobstones<em> _Club_, who couldn't say boo to a goose, but you used _my_ signature hex, so everyone thinks it was me!" James ranted at his two friends as they made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. All three wore their Gryffindor Quidditch robes, ready for Saturday morning's training.

"That's why it was so funny," Sirius sniggered, "The whole school is whispering about the king of practical jokes rising from the ashes."

Cassie, however, was feeling a little bad. As fun as it was, when Lily had cornered her in the dorm and pointed out just how horrible she had been, Cassie had started to feel a bit knotted up in her stomach. Marlene had told her, in amusement, that that feeling was guilt.

Maybe they were growing up after all. If hexing second years made her feel guilty, and James was lecturing her and Sirius about responsibility, then things had definitely changed.

Then she looked at Sirius, his grey eyes filled with amusement, and his arms crossed defiantly. Maybe things hadn't changed quite as much as she thought.

They stopped at the top of the staircase leading down the the Entrance Hall, and Cassie looked down. There, in the hall, stood a group of people who she would feel no guilt hexing in the slightest.

Gregor Mulciber, a big Slytherin with dark hair, stood with his cronies, Alexander Avery, Evan Rosier, and Severus Snape. They were surrounding a smaller boy, also wearing a Slytherin scarf, but the younger boy did not look best pleased to be speaking with them.

Then, she heard a familiar voice ringing out.

"Mulciber, would you and your friends please stop tormenting Black, there. Move along - the Great Hall is that way," said Lily, brightly, gesturing in the direction of the Hall.

At the sound of Lily's voice, and most likely her choice of words, James and Sirius froze in their conversation, and turned to look in Lily's direction. Sirius' gaze hardened as he spotted his younger brother amidst the notorious gang of Slytherins.

"Ah, Evans. Our interfering Head Girl," Mulciber drawled, eliciting smirks from his followers, as they turned away from Regulus Black to face the red-headed girl.

"I will take points from Slytherin," Lily threatened, but Mulciber laughed. Cassie drew her wand, and James and Sirius reflected the movement, ready to step in.

"You should know, Evans, that House points mean very little in the real world. And in the real world, there is retribution waiting for you and your kind."

Lily's eyes flickered only briefly towards Snape, who refused to meet her gaze.

"Come, Black," Mulciber said commandingly, and the group of Slytherins moved away from the Head Girl, Regulus following them slightly reluctantly.

Cassie looked to James, her brow furrowed.

"What just happened? No wands drawn, no points docked, no racial slurs… What's happened to Mulciber?"

James' frown matched her own.

"Something's not right. He sounded entirely to happy."

Sirius, however, looked angry.

"Of course he'd be happy - he's just recruited a Black to his gang of junior Death Eaters, hasn't he?"

Cassie bit her lip, trying not to let the sympathy she felt for her friend show. She knew he would just turn sour. Any mention of his family understandably put Sirius in a black mood, but his younger brother was a particularly soft spot.

"Not necessarily," James tried to temper Sirius' hasty conclusion, "They are on the Quidditch team together, remember. They could have been discussing Quidditch."

"No," Cassie disagreed, albeit reluctantly in front of the angry Sirius, "No, Snape has nothing to do with Slytherin Quidditch. Neither's Avery. If it was Quidditch related, it would have been Mulciber and Rosier, not the whole gang."

James had no argument for that.

The three made their way down to the Great Hall in silence. Remus and Peter were already at the Gryffindor table, and James, Sirius and Cassie went to join them.

"Off to practice today?" Peter asked brightly, seemingly oblivious to the dark expressions of his friends' faces. Remus, however, was more observant.

"What happened?" he asked gently.

"You mean you can't read my mind today, Moony?" Sirius snarked, his good mood of earlier gone. He was going to be an absolute joy on the Quidditch pitch that morning, Cassie mused.

"We just witnessed a rather odd exchange between Mulciber's gang, mini-Black, and our dearest Evans…" James said, in a bemused tone. Remus raised an eyebrow, looking surprised.

"That does sound odd," he admitted.

Cassie had just stuffed a large helping of eggs into her mouth when Sirius stood up abruptly from the table, and stormed off towards the Slytherin table.

"Uh oh," said James, moving to rise.

"Let me and Moony," Cassie said, rising herself and putting a restraining hand on James' arm, "You don't want to be getting into any fights."

"You two are prefects, you know, you're not much better off," James pointed out.

"But we won't lose the rag the way you would," Cassie sent back, as she and Remus quickly followed Sirius to where he stood, facing Mulciber across the table.

"But it's dear Regulus' choice to maintain his family honour, _Black_, in the same way it was your choice to spit on it and walk away," Mulciber said in a slimy tone, his growing group of Slytherins laughing at his words.

"If you don't leave him out of this, Mulciber, you'll regret it," Sirius growled.

Cassie grabbed Sirius by the upper arm, and gave him a brief shake.

"That's enough, come on, they're not worth it."

"Not worth it? Coming from the runt of of lion pack, whose mummy married a Muggle?" hissed Lucinda Burke, a tall, blonde Slytherin girl with a horsy face, who stood particularly close to Avery.

Mulciber's eyes locked on Cassie, and she felt the hair rise on the back of her neck.

"Ah, yes. A Selwyn, your mother, wasn't she? Before she was blasted off the family tree."

But Cassie ignored them both, watching the tightness in Sirius' jaw instead.

"Sirius, _go_," she implored, before meeting Remus' gaze, who quickly took Sirius' other arm and began to direct him away.

"Don't you _dare_ ignore him, you little half-blood!" Lucinda screeched.

Cassie shot her a withering look.

"Is that really the best you can do? Somebody give the girl a carrot, or a bucket of oats, if she can manage them with those teeth," Cassie retorted.

Lucinda drew her wand.

"You Gryffin_dork_."

"Slyther_bint_."

"Enough, Lucinda," Mulciber said sharply, watching Cassie with glittering eyes, "She'll get what she deserves. But not until her father has been _put down_ like the animal he is. And her filthy whore of a mother, too."

Suddenly, Sirius was free of Remus' grasp, his wand at Mulciber's throat. In a flash, all of the Slytherins had drawn their wands, too, and Remus and Cassie found their own wands in their hands.

"Don't you even dare," Sirius snarled.

"Soft spot for the filthy little slut?" Mulciber inquired, no trace of fear in his eyes, merely a cold calculation.

"This is _beyond_ enough, Sirius," Remus said sternly to his worked-up friend, his green eyes concerned, "Come one, we have to go. You have Quidditch practice."

Sirius' eyes seemed to clear, and he shot a look to Cassie, who nodded quickly.

"Quidditch. Yeah," he said, reluctantly lowering his wand. The three Gryffindors stepped back, Remus returning his encouraging grip to Sirius' arm, and they turned away to return to their own table.

Cassie heard Lucinda behind them shriek an incantation. She spun to see Avery grab Lucinda's arm, sending her curse off-course, and swearing loudly. She didn't hesitate, sending a hex back at the Slytherin girl, who immediately sprouted a long tail, reminiscent of that of a rat.

"Run," said Cassie to her compatriots, and the three legged it from the Hall without a backwards glance at the commotion at the Slytherin table.


	11. A Hogsmeade Outing

The strange, non-aggressive mood Mulciber's gang had been in apparently continued, as there was no retaliation to Cassie's hex other than Lucinda Burke's glares across the Hall at dinner. Between Quidditch, prefect duties and the impossibly increasing workload for the N.E.W.T. students, there soon was no time to worry about it.

The first Hogsmeade weekend was on one of those perfect autumn days where the sky was blue, the sun was bright, but the air held a hint of chill like the anticipation of winter. A crowd of students, in a rainbow of ordinary, non-uniform colours, gathered in the courtyard,waiting for a carriage.

"I do wish you'd make an effort, Cassie," sighed Marlene, "You looked so pretty for the Slub Club party, when you actually did."

Cassie looked down at her Gryffindor Quidditch jumper, her perfectly good jeans, her black trainers and her Gryffindor scarf. What was the problem?

"You know, I wish you'd go and find Jonathan Abbott already. Then my clothing choices would remain uncriticised."

Marlene looked to Lily, who looked to Mary, and the three girls simultaneously shot Cassie amused smiles.

"Sorry to break it you," Lily said with a smile, "But they probably wouldn't."

Cassie rolled her eyes whilst her friends giggled.

"However," Marlene said after a moment, "You are quite right in that I probably should go and find Jonathan…"

She ran a hand through her blonde hair before flicking it over one shoulder, and said goodbye to the girls before heading towards a large group of Hufflepuffs where Abbott might be found.

"How does she always have a date?" Lily sighed. Cassie gave her a disbelieving look, but Mary shushed her before she could open her mouth and let rude comments spill out.

"I'm fairly sure," Mary said gently, "That if you wanted a date, you could have one, Lily."

"Aside from the obvious," Cassie hinted, "Old Charlie Dearborn seemed pretty keen at Slughorn's shindig."

Lily glared at Cassie.

"He hasn't spoken to me since _your_ friends ruined that party."

"Oh, they're _my_ friends when they're making trouble, but when we see them in Hogsmeade buying stock for the Halloween party I guarantee they'll be _your_ best friends too," Cassie scoffed. Lily and Mary both looked curiously at the smaller girl.

"So it's on?" Mary inquired, "Even after the last one was rumbled by McGongall?"

"Won't be in the common room this time, but yeah, there's a party, alright."

"Oooh, where will it be? The old Transfiguration classroom? The disused Alchemy block?"

Cassie shrugged.

"Maybe. Depends. Prongs found this really cool room when we were scoping out locations the other night: it was perfect, big enough for a decent party but still cosy, loads of couches but also a dance floor, and a bathroom too. It was exactly we we need. But it must have been a moving room, because we haven't been able to find it since, and it's not on - I mean, there's no mention of it anywhere in _Hogwarts: A History_."

The three girls, now at the front of the queue, climbed into a carriage. They sat down, and Cassie reached up with a hand to push back some of her wild curls behind her ear.

"So what are they getting? I'd assume Butterbeer, but will they have Firewhiskey again?" Lily asked keenly.

"I don't know, I haven't spoken to James or Sirius since lunch yesterday."

"I'm so proud of you for using our free afternoon to catch up on homework, Cass," Lily beamed, and Mary gave an encouraging smile, too.

"Did you not _see_ my attempt to turn my desk into a pig in Transfiguration on Friday? I desperately need to catch up!" she exclaimed, before the blank looks on her friends faces reminded her that they hadn't been so stupid as to take the class this year.

"Well," she said lamely, "Even Prongs couldn't keep a straight face, and he's normally the only one who can."

"Potter?" Lily asked, surprised. "Not Remus?"

"No," Cassie said morosely, "Even the _nice one_ laughs at my dismal attempts to Transfigure. He can't help it. But Prongs is normally really good, and tries to talk me through stuff when McGonagall isn't looking. But even he thought a pile of green goo with all my books and notes in the middle was too much to handle."

"Oh dear," Mary said, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm not dropping it," Cassie said stubbornly, her face set in determination, "Prongs said he'd help me study, so I'm hoping that'll make a difference."

"He _is_ good at Transfiguration," Lily admitted, "And so's Sirius - I'm sure he'd help too. He'd do practically anything if _you_ asked him."

"I don't trust him as far as I can throw him," Cassie said warily, causing both her friends to grin, "He might do as I ask, but he always makes me regret it. He'd teach me the wrong spells or to hold my wand backwards or something. I'll stick to Prongs."

"But he's as bad as Sirius," Lily said in confusion.

"No, he's really not," Cassie said, giving Lily an odd look, "You've been living with him for six weeks, you should know that. He likes a good laugh, but he's reliable. Sirius is _not_ somebody you should rely on."

Lily bit her lip, and looked thoughtfully out of the carriage window. Cassie was slightly surprised that her pretty, red-headed friend hadn't put up more resistance. Maybe living with James and patrolling with him was showing her his good side, after all.

On arrival in Hogsmeade, there was some debate over the first shop to visit. As always, Cassie wanted to stock up at Zonko's, and take a look at the new stock in Dervish & Banges; Mary wanted to visit Gladrags Wizardwear for a look at dress robes, before heading to Tomes & Scrolls, the bookshop; and Lily was desperate to look at eagle feather quills and Unblottable Ink in Scrivenshaft's before visiting Ceridwen's Cauldrons for a size three stone cauldron. The girls finally agreed on stopping at Honeydukes first, before it filled with sugar-fuelled third years, and set off down the High Street.

They may have beat the student rush, but Honeydukes was far from empty: the girls had not been the only older students with a similar idea.

"Cassie!" squeaked a familiar voice as the girls entered the warm, sweet smelling shop. She looked up to see Peter, his cheeks pink and his blonde hair in a disarray that she suspected was supposed to look like James'.

"Hey, Wormy," she greeted, and automatically looked about for signs of the other Marauders, "Where's the lads?"

Peter shook his head, his eager smile splitting his soft face.

"Not here. Off collecting supplies."

"Party supplies?" Lily brightened with curiosity, "Where were they headed?"

"Well, Moony is in Dominic Maestro's, and Prongs is _supposed_ to be at the Post Office collecting some parcels but I definitely saw him looking at the broom display in the window at Spintwitches…"

At that point, Cassie noticed a display of the new strawberry flavour Fizzing Whizzbees, and promptly abandoned Lily to Peter's company - although, perhaps it could have been argued it was Peter she was abandoning to Lily, from the unnoticed look of disappointment he sent after her. She picked up one of the sweets from the display, turning it over and looking intently at it.

Sweet choice was a serious decision, after all.

"I can tell you something for nothing: they aren't worth it. Stick to the original," said a voice behind her. Cassie turned to find a tall, blue eyed, blonde boy standing behind her, smiling as though he'd told her a priceless secret.

"Jack," she greeted, warmly, "Much as it's lovely to see you, I'm not sure I trust your taste in confectionary. I remember a certain occasion when you tried to convince me that you _didn't_ _mind_ earwax flavoured Bertie Bott's."

Jack's hand shot to his chest and he flinched as though he'd taken a shot. Cassie's expression was amused.

"I'm sure it could be taken with a pinch of salt under the circumstances. It isn't wise to complain when Potter and Black are the ones Transfiguring your sweets…" he said with a laugh. Earwax flavoured sweets had been one of James and Sirius' more imaginative pranks that they'd pulled on Jack last year.

"This is true," Cassie admitted lightly, and Jack laughed, "So what would you recommend instead?"

"I'm a classic Chocolate Cauldron type of man, myself," he said.

"Me too - well, woman," she backtracked, "But Lily likes Fizzing Whizzbees, and I like to make sure I have a supply so as to keep her happy…"

Jack gave her a weird look, somewhere between wariness and admiration.

"Really? Lily?" he asked in a way that Cassie felt sure was significant. Significant of what, she was less sure.

"Yes," she said slowly, "Marlene likes them too, but Lily has a real thing for them."

Jack studied her for a moment, then broke into a beam brighter than the sun on a summer's day.

"You know, you really are something, Cassie Derehart. I wish I was half as brave as you."

Still completely lost, she sought refuge in in a quick retort.

"Well, I am a Gryffindor."

He shook his head, laughing gently.

"You know, it would really mean a lot if we could have a chat at some point, Cassie. Without your overbearing friends around. I mean - honestly, who am I to make things difficult for you?"

Feeling somewhat like she'd lost the script, Cassie nodded.

"Ok, sure, let's do that," she said weakly. Jack beamed again, and Cassie felt herself flush slightly. She hated feeling out of her depth.

"Right. Well, I have to go meet my friends now, but it was really good to speak to you," he said brightly, and leaned in to give Cassie a kiss on the cheek before turning to leave the warmth of the sweet shop.

When Lily walked over, her short friend was staring at the door with a look of confusion on her face and her mouth hanging open, eyes unseeing.

Cassie looked to Lily, her face contorted in consideration.

"I really have no idea what just happened," she stated, and shook her head.

* * *

><p>The girls were finally dragging Lily out of Scrivenshaft's when Cassie spotted James and Remus walking down the Hogsmeade High Street. She let go of the sleeve of Lily's jumper to wave heartily at her friends, and, noticing her manic gestures, the boys reciprocated and headed over.<p>

"Hey Sparks, girls," James greeted cheerfully.

Between the pair of them, James and Remus had several bags filled with interesting looking items, and the girls' attention was caught.

"Is that all for the party?" Lily asked curiously.

"Yeah," James smiled, "It should be a good one."

"Have you worked out where you're having it, yet?"

"Well, I was thinking…"

Remus, Cassie and Mary surreptitiously gave their friends a little room to engage in their own conversation - Cassie was particularly pleased that Lily didn't seem to notice.

"So," Mary asked, with a smile as her gaze flicked to James and Lily, "Have you got everything you need?"

"Almost," Remus said, "Padfoot has nipped off to get beverages, but otherwise we're organised."

"Oh," Cassie said, surprised, "Have you left it to him on his own? Won't he need a hand?"

"Yeah," Remus admitted, "But we've got to get everything else back first."

"I'll go and help him," Cassie offered, "And then we can all meet in the Three Broomsticks afterwards for a Butterbeer."

"Good call," Remus agreed, his green eyes warming, "He's in the Hog's Head."

Lily looked over from her conversation with James, her ears pricking at the name of the pub.

"The Hog's Head?" she asked, looking put out, "But students aren't allowed in the Hog's Head."

"Lily," Cassie sighed, giving her friend an affectionate but tired look, "Of course they're not. They'll sell Firewhisky and mead to students."

"Exactly -" Lily started, and then quieted when she noticed her friends' pointed looks. "Oh. Yes, I suppose that's a good point."

Cassie rolled her eyes, and James gave Lily a fondly amused look that had the red-head blushing.

"Right, so we'll see you lot in the Three Broomsticks later?"

The others nodded their agreement, and Cassie headed off towards the infamous Hogsmeade drinking den.

* * *

><p>Cassie noticed as she stepped into the dingy pub that it was much warmer than usual. Aberforth had obviously lit the fire earlier than usual, or used a few extra logs, perhaps.<p>

That, and the pub was quite busy. Busy for the Hog's Head, anyway.

Aside from the usual complement of masked, cowled, hooded and otherwise identity-hidden patrons, Cassie immediately noticed a large group at the back of the pub around one of the wooden tables. She recognised Mulciber, Avery, Rosier, Snape and the youngest Black at the table with two men that she recognised as having been only slightly older than themselves, and not long out of Hogwarts. Both of them - one a tall, blonde man, and the other a dark-haired, thickset man - had dated Sirius' cousins, Narcissa and Bellatrix respectively, although Cassie remembered Sirius mentioning that Bellatrix had gotten married in the summer.

Careful not to draw the attention of the gathered Slytherins, Cassie approached the far side of the bar. She settled on a stool, able to see the group through the taps, but feeling safe that they were unable to see her. She watched as the current students watched the older men with fascinated gazes, and Cassie felt a little sick. Then, as the Slytherins leaned in closer, she saw the dark haired man's hand go the edge of his sleeve. He began to draw it up -

"Hi, Princess. Should have known you'd track down the alcohol," came a laughing voice as a tall body plonked down on the bar stool beside her. Cassie jumped, and she turned round to meet Sirius' merry grey eyes in shock. She looked quickly back to the Slytherins, but whatever the man had been about to reveal was hidden once more.

"You alright?" Sirius asked, looking a little concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Cassie said, brushing off her unease and forcing a smile, "Just worried you hadn't bought enough. Prongs is planning some huge party."

"I know," Sirius said, looking a little put out, 'Whatever happened to it being _our_ party now that he's the Head Boy and all?"

"Well," Cassie smiled, "I know we all keep forgetting, but Moony and I are prefects too. That means more than half of the Marauders are now technically authority figures and are supposed to behave…"

Sirius looked disgusted.

"I don't know what the world is coming to, honestly," he grumbled, and Cassie rose to help the dark-haired boy as they collected their cases of mead, Butterbeer and, of course, Firewhisky from the Hog's Heads goat-loving proprietor.

* * *

><p>It was some hours later that the very frazzled and grumpy pair finally entered the Three Broomsticks. Not only had their first choice of tunnel been rigged with a Caterwauling Charm (Filch had obviously finally found it) that Cassie had only just managed to counter-charm before they were discovered, but they had then been trapped for forty minutes behind the statue of Jeremy the Unwashed whilst they waited for Slughorn to finish his conversation with the head of the Potions Club about the meanings behind the scent of Amortentia. By the time they had stashed their loot in the concealed chamber behind the tapestry of Gryffindor's sword on the sixth floor, the pair were feeling somewhat irritable.<p>

It took a few moments to spot their friends in the crowded pub. Sirius spotted them first, touching his hand to Cassie's upper arm and pointing to the corner booth where the Gryffindors were sat. Cassie noted as they approached that Lily was nestled between James and Remus, and Mary on James' other side beside Peter. She bit back a smile.

"I think we definitely deserve our Butterbeer bought for us after the trials and tribulations we have just faced to supply the Halloween party with suitable beverages," Sirius declared dramatically as he and Cassie slid into the booth.

James nodded indulgently as Sirius launched into a partly-dramatised and very exaggerated account of their afternoon's adventures, whilst Peter was sent barwards to fetch more Butterbeer. Mary looked towards Peter's disappearing figure, and frowned slightly before moving to get up.

"Where are you off to, Mary?" Cassie asked, spotting her friend's odd expression.

"Just to help Peter. He's rather drawn the short straw."

Cassie was incredulous.

"It's _Wormtail_," she said, as if that explained everything. When Mary's frown deepened, Cassie sighed loudly and rose to her feet.

"Don't be daft, I'll go and help him. He might have a fit if you sidle up next to him at the bar, you know."

"He might have a fit if you do too, Sparks," Remus said, raising one eyebrow and making Cassie laugh.

"Yeah, but at least I have the reflexes to save the Butterbeers," she shot back, and Mary gave her an exasperated sigh.

Cassie slid out of the booth again, and made her way up to Madam Rosmerta's busy bar. She spotted Peter, who was trying desperately to catch Rosmerta's eye, but failing miserably. Cassie took pity on him.

"Let me squeeze in, Wormy - I'll get her attention for you."

Peter looked very grateful to leave Cassie to the chore of ordering drinks, and he backed away from the bar quickly. Cassie raised a hand, catching Rosmerta's eye, who raised a hand to her briefly, signalling that she'd be with her momentarily. As she lowered her hand, Cassie felt a presence at her shoulder. She turned and looked up to see the handsome figure of Amos Diggory, who looked particularly pleased to see her.

"Derehart. Good to see you out in your civvies," he said with a charming smile. Cassie hadn't regretted her choice of outfit until that moment - never had a Quidditch jumper seemed like such a stupid thing to wear to Hogsmeade before.

Thankfully, Rosmerta saved her from embarrassment by arriving to take her order. Cassie quickly ordered enough Butterbeers for the table, and drew out her purse to pay, but a large arm appeared over her shoulder, offering the coins to Rosmerta.

"On me," Diggory said, giving Cassie a warm look. Rosmerta shot Cassie an odd look, but Cassie didn't have time to question why Rosmerta, whom she generally got on with very well in their shared despair over the boys' attempts to charm the buxom barmaid, obviously didn't approve of Diggory.

"You didn't have to do that," Cassie said, slightly lamely, pulling at the hem of her Quidditch jumper awkwardly.

"I know," said the Hufflepuff, but he didn't expand as he started to pick up the Butterbeers that Rosmerta was pouring. Cassie helped, noticing that Peter had disappeared back to the Gryffindors' table rather than stay to help her and Diggory with the drinks.

Diggory followed Cassie across the crowded pub towards the Gryffindors, were they set the drinks down on the table. The Gryffindors seemed surprised to see Diggory, but they warmed up significantly when Cassie revealed that Diggory had in fact paid for all of their drinks. Only Sirius groaned when Diggory asked if he could join them, and he quickly quieted after a sharp crack sounded from the general direction of his ankle. In a completely unrelated observation, Cassie noted that James appeared rather smug.

"Your friend McKinnon has been sitting with us for a while," Diggory noted, indicating towards the table of seventh year Hufflepuffs on the far side of the pub, "She is rather good fun, isn't she?"

"She really is," Lily beamed. The gigantic smile hadn't left her red-headed friend's face ever since Diggory had arrived, and Cassie was silently questioning Lily's sanity.

"Except when she's criticising people's choice of clothing," Cassie contradicted, Lily's incessant grinning inexplicably irking her now.

Diggory's hazel eyes went to Cassie, then quickly looked her up and down. She felt her cheeks turn the colour of the jumper in question as his eyes met hers again.

"Well," he said, slightly apologetically, "I can't say I'm a huge fan of the colour choice, but otherwise it's not a bad jumper."

"Just because red and gold will be all you see after the next Quidditch match doesn't mean you need to start being a sore loser now, Diggory," James said smugly to the Hufflepuff. Diggory shot him a smirk.

"_When_ we win, Potter, I'm going to try my damnedest to get your Seeker in a Hufflepuff jumper. I think it would look rather good," Diggory said, giving Cassie a smile that set her cheeks on fire again. Even if there was no way she'd ever be caught dead in yellow and black, it was still strangely warming to think that Diggory would like to see her in his teams' colours.

"Enough about Quidditch," Lily interrupted before the boys could really start trying to trash talk each other, "Have you got any plans for Halloween, Diggory?"

Sirius shot a death glare at the red-head, but she blithely ignored him.

"Why, is this me getting an invite to the infamous Marauders' Halloween bash?" Diggory asked with mock incredulity.

"Possibly," Cassie said, before Lily could do any further damage, "If you play your cards right."

The grin on Diggory's face was one that even Cassie, with her limited experience, was sure counted as a flirty one.

"Challenge accepted, Derehart. Just watch out though: when you play Exploding Snap, sparks tend to fly…"

Sirius groaned loudly, and both James and Remus seemed to simultaneously develop coughing fits. Lily punched James on the arm, crossly berating him, whilst Mary offered Remus a cough sweet in concern. Peter looked bemused, and slightly concerned that he'd missed a joke.

"Alright," Diggory laughed, "Alright, I'll take that as my cue."

He rose from the table, pulling a face at the disgusted looking Sirius, before turning to Cassie once more.

"Seriously, though, Cassie, it would be really good to see you there."

"Yeah, Amos," Cassie said to the tall, brown haired boy with a shy smile, "It really would."


	12. Parties and Puking

It briefly occurred to Cassie that surely the staff must have an inkling that something was up. Every Gryffindor student from fifth year up, and a decent proportion of the older Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, all seemed far more excited than the end of the Halloween Feast really allowed for.

Marlene had been wittering excitedly about Jonathan Abbott (the date with whom had gone rather excellently), and Lily had been very much enjoying dropping hints about certain Hufflepuff friends that Abbott might well be bringing to the party in between musing aloud the possibilities of the evening's entertainment. Even Mary was fidgeting in her seat during the Feast, and Cassie knew her own excitement showed through her inability to eat a third helping of chocolate brownie ice cream cake - her stomach was squirming in a way that had felt reasonably pleasant before she attempted to eat her own weight in food, and now she was seriously contemplating whether she needed a digestion-aiding nap prior to making their way to the old disused Alchemy classroom to help the boys set up.

In the end, the Marauders didn't give her a choice in the matter: as she and Lily giggled over Lydia Ross' forgotten curler in the back of her hair on their way up towards Gryffindor tower, Cassie suddenly found her arm hooked, and she was pulled sharply out to the side.

"Hey, Sparks," a pair of hazel eyes beamed from behind their spectacles as James released her arm from his grip, "Not forgetting about your promise now, are you?"

"Of course she was," Sirius sneered from behind him, "She'll have been sneaking away to try and sleep off that gigantic food baby."

Cassie aimed a kick at Sirius' shins, quite satisfied with the yelp of pain she was met with. Whether he was right or not was irrelevant - it was her prerogative to pretend he was completely wrong, and his suggestion highly offensive, whilst the other boys agreed, in the silent knowledge that Sirius was spot on with his observation. It was a dynamic that worked well.

"I still can't believe we couldn't find that perfect room again," James lamented as the five of them traipsed upstairs towards the Alchemy classroom.

"Must have been a moving room if it wasn't on the Map," Sirius said, clapping his mate on the shoulder in an attempt to cheer him up, "And the Alchemy classroom is perfectly fine. Filch barely ever goes up there, and it's not too close to any teachers' offices."

"Plus," Peter chipped in, "It's nice and close to that passage from the Ancient Runes corridor, so there's a decent escape route."

Remus frowned at the smaller boy.

"There's no way everyone would fit in there, Wormy. And we would hardly bail on the party _we_ threw and leave anyone else to take the rap."

Peter looked chagrined, but still a little worried.

The Alchemy classroom was already slightly creepy, with it's cobwebbed desks and chairs, dusty old blackboard, and strange smell that was somewhere between musty and rotten, so turning it into a perfect Halloween party location didn't really require someone with Cassie's skills at Charms and James' skill at Transfiguration. She drew her long cedar wand (_14 ½ inches, unicorn hair, surprisingly swishy_) and paused for a moment, meeting James' excited gaze as he reflected her movement with his own mahogany wand. Then, they made magic.

Headstones rose from the floor. Mist seemed to congeal in the air, drifting menacingly around their ankles. Black paper bats flittered through the air. A skeleton appeared, leaning casually against the wall, winking and waving at anyone who drew too close. Pumpkins sprouted, evil faces carved menacingly into them, their expressions shifting subtly with the light. The ceiling melted away to reveal a starry sky with a huge, silvery moon hung in the centre.

Sirius let out a low whistle of appreciation, but Remus, seeing the moon, flinched visibly.

"Is that necessary?" he asked, slightly tersely.

"'Fraid so, Moony, my man," Sirius said brightly, patting Remus on the back in a way that provided no comfort at all, "It's Halloween-y, isn't it?"

"But it's not the full moon, really," Peter said, half-questioningly, looking at the sky in consternation. Sirius rolled his eyes, but Cassie took pity on the small, mousy boy.

"It's not like the Great Hall ceiling, Wormy. I'm not _that_ good at Charms. It's just a fake sky, that's all."

Understanding lit Peter's face, and he beamed encouragingly at Cassie, Sirius groaning at him, and James and Remus hiding smirks.

"It's very good, Cassie. No one would ever know the difference," he fawned, and Sirius mimed retching behind his back to the amusement of the other Marauders. Cassie murmured her thanks to Peter, scowling at the rather amused Sirius.

The Marauders didn't have long to smuggle their refreshments into the classroom and finish setting up before the first Gryffindors started to arrive. Lily, Marlene and Mary quickly whisked a surprised Cassie off to one side, whispering furtively.

"I can't believe you haven't had a chance to change!" Marlene moaned, pulling at Cassie's uniform, the robes she had worn over the top for the Feast stashed in the secret passageway nearby for later collection.

"Neither have the boys," Cassie pointed out.

"But they're not wearing their school uniform underneath, Cass," Lily countered, raising one eyebrow at the smaller girl. Cassie opened her mouth to retort, but bit it back, turning to look towards her troublemaking counterparts. Remus still wore his robes, but James, Sirius and Peter had removed theirs, revealing smart shirt and trouser combinations (James once again in his waistcoat from the Slug Club party). She groaned.

"Urgh, why did I not think of that?" she lamented, dragging her fingers through her rampant curls, but her friends looked at her without pity.

"Well, clothes aren't usually your priority, are they?" Mary said gently, her hand moving consolingly to Cassie's arm.

Lily and Marlene ruined the comforting effect somewhat by snorting loudly. Cassie shot them a baleful look.

"What I wouldn't give for my Quidditch jumper…" she sighed.

"Well, there's the silver lining," Marlene laughed. Cassie looked at her suspiciously, and the blonde laughed harder, her hair falling forward across her face.

"At least you look like you forgot to change, rather than like you're the type of person who would wear a Quidditch jumper to a party!"

"But I _am_ the type of person who would wear a Quidditch jumper to a party," Cassie said, confused. Lily tried valiantly to maintain her straight face, but soon lapsed into giggles alongside Marlene. Mary bit her lip, hard, a smile squirming out around it.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, Cassie (and her Quidditch jumper) was seated at a table in the corner of the classroom with Lily, Mary and the Marauders, music pounding around them. Marlene was still dancing with Jonathan Abbott, but the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors were enjoying a good chat over their glasses of mead rather more than dancing.<p>

"And that's how I became the first wizard to ride a Chinese Fireball for England in the Quidditch World Cup," Sirius finished his story with a flourish, his grey eyes gleaming. Cassie and Lily shared amused but disbelieving looks, whilst James and Remus scoffed loudly. Only Peter, who gazed at Sirius in adoration, seemed in any way taken in by Sirius' tale of skill and daring.

"Wow, Padfoot, that's amazing!" Peter gasped, as James let out a loud groan, "Are you playing for them again in the World Cup next year?"

"God, you really do talk a lot of rubbish, you know," Cassie said to Sirius with a smirk. He winked back at her across the table.

"God, is it? I mean, I know I'm handsome, and charming, and talented, but isn't it Prongs who thinks he's a god?" Sirius smirked right back at her. James turned around sharply to glare at Sirius, but ruined the effect somewhat by pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"You and your bullshit," James said, accompanying his comment with a punch to the arm.

Sirius' grey eyes gleamed fiendishly.

"Are you calling 'Bullshit', Mister Prongs?" he asked with a jaunty grin. James' face lit up, and he and Cassie quickly shared an arch look. Remus let out a long-suffering sigh, but the smile that chased it set the rather confused Lily slightly more at ease.

"What on earth do you mean, Black?" she asked, hesitantly, as the Marauders exchanged devilish looks and smirked at her. James stood up from his seat, his expression comically solemn, and he swept around the table, kneeling next to Lily with an exaggeratedly earnest expression. Cassie tried not to choke.

"My dearest Lily," he began, taking Lily's hand in his own whilst Cassie aimed a kick at Sirius' shin under the table to stop his barking laugh, "Please allow us, allow _me_, to introduce you to the delights of the game known as 'Bullshit'."

"Remember the Muggle card game 'Cheat' we used to play when our hands got a bit singed from Exploding Snap?" Cassie added slightly more helpfully over James' shoulder, "It's basically that, but with Firewhisky shots if you're lying, or you falsely accuse someone."

Lily looked back down at James, one eyebrow raised, considering. He beamed angelically at her, and she couldn't stop a grin spreading across her face at his antics.

"Alright, then. Let's play Bullshit," she said, although she looked like she regretted it as Sirius, James and Peter began to chant and thump the table in excitement while Remus, somewhat regretfully, began dealing cards.

What started as a simple game of Bullshit soon drew a large crowd, as most things involving the Marauders did: girls were swooning over Sirius' wicked grin whenever he revealed a particularly bold attempt at Bullshitting; guys were clapping James on the back in some strange, tribal display of masculine appreciation for victory whenever he tried to lay down a card; Remus' uncanny ability to know exactly what his friends unsettled everybody; and Lily's blatant satisfaction when she revealed _yet again_ that she was totally innocent, and forced James to drink, made Cassie's grin grow even wider.

However, what caused the most amusement in their spectators, and what seemed to be triggering a spontaneous betting ring to spring up around the table, was the fierce rivalry between Cassie and Sirius.

"You lying _dog_!"

"Not so innocent a Princess after all!"

"Ha, take that, _Black_!"

"Nice try, Sparks, but those short little legs just can't keep up with me!"

The two sparred as much with their words and expressions (and one jinx, the aim of which was sorely affected by the volume of Firewhisky consumed) as with the cards, and as Remus called the final hand and began to deal, their gazes were locked in a battle of wills that refused either to look away. Sirius raised one eyebrow challengingly, and Cassie tilted her chin upwards in defiance.

"Bring it on, Princess Sparkles," Sirius growled.

"Oh, you've seen nothing yet, Padfoot," she laughed airily, and slightly too loudly, and Sirius' eyes narrowed at her patronising manner.

"Well you'd better hurry up then, Sparks, or I'll have won and you'll still be trying to come up with trash talk."

James started. Lily played her hand. Peter nervously placed his own cards on the pile. Then it was Cassie's turn.

She had to play fives, sixes or sevens, and didn't have a single one in her hand. And she _knew_ that Sirius was going to call her on Bullshitting the moment she laid her cards. It was the final hand, and he was going to gloat for the entire rest of the evening.

She steeled herself, and played her hand.

"Two sevens," she said, slurring slightly, and placed the cards face down on the top of the pile carefully, her hand no longer particularly steady. Sirius grinned, and leaned back in his seat casually.

"Bullshit," he called, but, possibly somehow related to the vast quantity of Firewhisky imbibed, it was a fraction slower than Remus' call of "Three eights," as he placed another three cards quickly onto the pile.

Cassie gaped at the sandy-haired boy beside her, her head starting to spin as she turned to look at him. He had played his turn before Sirius could call her out! Sirius looked positively shocked, and increasingly annoyed.

"Well," he said, darkly, "I'm assuming this traitor here at least is Bullshitting."

Sirius overturned the first card, carefully. Eight of spades. Then the second: eight of hearts. After a long pause, and a green tinge rising to his cheeks, Sirius turned the last. The eight of clubs.

Remus grinned, smugly.

"Sorry, mate. Drink up."

Sirius gave a growl, but sportingly downed the Firewhisky to the cheers of the crowd of students who had very much enjoyed the spectacle.

The game over, the crowd began to disperse, Galleons slipping between hands inconspicuously. Remus disappeared with the cards and the bottle of Firewhisky, his friends certainly not needing either any more, and his seat next to Cassie was soon filled with a Sirius-shaped blur.

"You are one lucky Princess," he said wryly, and Cassie giggled as though he were the most hilarious person she'd ever met. For a moment, his eyes clouded with confusion, but then he shrugged and his grin came back.

"And you're a drunk Princess, too," he said gleefully.

"Am not," Cassie argued, totally unaware that her dissension, ironically, made it perfectly clear that she was indeed drunk.

"Ok, whatever you say," Sirius agreed with a smug smile that completely belied his words. Cassie slapped at his arm weakly, and he barked with laughter.

"I'm absolutely fine," she insisted, "I could even sit my Transfiguration exam right now, I'm so fine."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, fighting back a smile.

"Oh, really? Then you must be really rather 'fine', because you couldn't even do that sober."

Cassie hesitated for a moment, trying to process what he'd said. The Firewhisky was hitting her now, like the Hogwarts Express in full steam.

"You, Sirius Black, are mean," was the best retort she could find.

She rose to her feet, her hand going quickly to the back of the chair to steady herself just as Sirius' hand went to her other elbow. He stood up, and threw his arm around her shoulders like he always did - but this time she felt rather pleased by this turn of events. It helped keep her upright after all, even if it did justify Sirius' claims a bit.

"And where are you off to, Princess?" he asked playfully, "Need an escort back to Gryffindor Tower, to bed?"

Cassie swiped at him again. She might be a bit tipsy, but she still recognised a Sirius innuendo when she heard one. She felt his answering laugh rumble through his chest.

"No," she said primly, "I'm going to go and dance with Lily and Mary and Marlene and Remus and James."

Sirius pulled his hand to his sternum sharply, feigning a shot to the heart.

"Ouch, Sparks. And what about me?"

Cassie rolled her eyes.

"Like you're ever short a partner, Pads," she said, steering him in the direction of their friends, who had drifted towards the dancefloor.

"Well," he said gruffly, 'Maybe I'd rather dance with my friends."

"Alright," Cassie sighed deeply, "Come on then, Moany McMoanerson."

Sirius directed her towards the dancefloor, where he pulled her into his arms.

"Um," Cassie said, questioningly, as she looked at all the other dancers around them, "is this really necessary?"

"If you want to fall over, go ahead," he said with a smirk. Cassie rolled her eyes, but the room was spinning in a manner that was not totally unpleasant, so she didn't object further. Instead, she leaned her head against Sirius' shoulder, and slowly closed her eyes.

"What on earth have you done to poor Sparks?" came Remus' voice from far away.

"She's alright. I'll take her back in a bit."

There was a moment's silence.

"For God's sake, Moony, not like that."

There was another silence. Cassie took a deep breath, noticing that, contrary to expectation, Sirius really didn't smell like wet dog.

"We shouldn't have let her drink so much. She is rather small."

"She's small, but she's fierce - like a bloody Flesh-Eating Slug."

"How flattering," Remus' voice said, dryly. You tell him, Moony, Cassie thought to herself, but the effort of speaking seemed too much.

"In all seriousness," he continued, "she looks like she's about to pass out - want a hand getting her back?"

Cassie lifted her head, and growled softly.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she breathed.

"Sparks, you haven't opened your eyes," rumbled Sirius' voice in his chest.

"Because I know the room is going to spin a bit if I do. But I'm fine with them closed."

"Well that makes perfect sense," Remus snarked, but Cassie felt Sirius' chest shaking with laughter.

"Yeah, ok," he finally said, breathlessly, "I'll get her back."

Then, suddenly, Cassie's feet were swept out from underneath her, and Sirius was carrying her out of the classroom, away from the noise of the party. There was a rocking motion as he walked, and Cassie felt her stomach roll uncomfortably.

"Padfoot, put me down," she said weakly.

"Let me just get you back, and then you can go to sleep, Sparks," he said soothingly.

"No, seriously, I need a plantpot or an urn or something. I think I'm going to spew."

Sirius must have moved faster than humanly possible, and been rather fortunate in his route back to the tower, because it seemed to be no time before Cassie found herself bent over a toilet, throwing her guts up, Sirius holding her curls back from her face and gently rubbing her back.

"Go on, get it all up: you'll feel a lot better tomorrow for it," he said, resignedly.

"Urgh," Cassie moaned, before heaving again.

"Are we in a toilet?" she asked after a moment, trying to sit up to look around her.

"Yes," he confirmed, quickly aiming her back towards the toilet before another wave broke, "Although unfortunately it's -"

Sirius didn't have time to finish before an irritatingly high pitched girl's voice came from in front of Cassie, somewhere above the cistern. Oh, for goodness sake, Myrtle's bathroom. She'd rather have vomited in a plant pot.

"Why are you in here with a **boy**?" Myrtle asked suspiciously from above the cistern.

"I really don't think that's my biggest issue right now," she groaned. The ghost sniffed loudly.

"You've been drinking, haven't you?" she asked accusingly.

"Wow, Myrtle," Sirius said appreciatively, "I never noticed how pretty your eyes are behind your glasses, you know."

Myrtle giggled.

"You really shouldn't be in here," she said, but her tone had lost it's harshness.

"We know," Sirius admitted jovially, "But I know you're a really cool girl. You won't tell, will you?"

"Of course not," Myrtle crooned. Cassie felt her stomach roll, and another wave of vomit hit the back of the toilet.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the delay with this one folks - it's been a very busy few weeks with work, uni and personal circumstances. But I'm back, with some more chaps for my multi-chaps, and a few oneshots in the pipeline for this week.**

**This chapter got longer than I thought - this and the next chapter were originally supposed to be one, but Cassie and Sirius just had to overdo things. But the next chapter's events are good, so stay tuned!**

**Also, for those who don't know the rules of Bullshit, do look it up - it's a great fun game, either the drinking or non-drinking versions (depending on your age and resident country's drinking laws!).**

**And also - thank you to all the followers, reviewers and favourite-ers - it's much appreciated, and (despite appearances) does inspire me to keep writing!**


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